Greg Messel - Fear and Uncertainty In 21st Century + Contest

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Fear and Uncertainty In 21st Century
By Greg Messel

The atmosphere which emerged in the first decade of the 21st century seemed to be laced with fear and uncertainty. In casual conversations each day with friends or co-workers it is easy to see that just below the seemingly calm demeanor of everyday life, if deep seated fear.

A friend recently confided in me that she was concerned about the future. Her future, her children's future, her husband's future.  It can be a challenge to not be live in fear. We must proceed in our lives in a positive manner and be ready to meet whatever trials may come.

These themes are woven throughout my new novel "The Illusion of Certainty." The main character Marc has his world rocked by the latest Black Monday, when the economy plunged into a deep recession on September 15th, 2008. That was a day that most Americans’ illusions of certainty came shattering down around them.  Marc, and his team watch the news breaking of the economic crisis, as it is reported that Lehman Brother collapsed and lost close to $7 billion and that the stock market had lost more than 500 points.

As the characters in "The Illusion of Certainty" watched the cable news coverage in the airport Marc comments, “We had a limitless future, just two weeks ago. There was more business than we could handle. Now, everything is in peril. There is no security anywhere."

A companion theme to dealing with fear is to value time as a precious commodity.

Another main character, Alex, who suffered a tragic loss in her life, is told at a seminar, "we never know how much time we have left so every day is precious." Our 21st Century technology gives us the impression that we control time and carefully track it. The automation of the Information Age was supposed to give us more leisure time. However, it has actually given us more time to work. The work day has continually been getting longer over the last decade.

Marc's family is blown apart and his relationship with his children becomes exchanging text messages and e mails.. He attempts to stay really a busy in his automated life. If he's busy he may not remember how unhappy he has become.

An emerging theme in my new novel is that ultimately not all "surprises" are bad. Life can also bring unexpected pleasures. We should not spend our precious time living in fear but taking charge of our life and our fate.

The Illusion of Certainty follows two parallel storylines. Marc is a successful businessman who seems to have everything—a great job, a beautiful wife, a house in an upscale neighborhood of Portland, Oregon and two great kids who are preparing for college. But something is not right. Marc is unsettled by the sudden change in his wife, Aimee, who seems distant and unhappy. What’s going on with her?

The second storyline involves a successful young attorney, Alexandra Mattson. Alex, as she is called by her friends, meets a handsome young cop, Sean, during an unexpected crisis in her neighborhood. Sean and Alex seem made for each other and begin to merge their futures in a world of uncertainty.

The only certainty in life is that we will face uncertainty. Despite all fo the technology and controls available in the modern world, sometimes the only comfort comes from the human touch.

Greg Messel
http://expiationbook.wordpress.com

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