I sit at my laptop, looking out the window — a blank stare.
No, not blank. There’s a lot going on inside the walls behind my glasses. There’s always a lot going on there.
I think too much.
I watched a movie last night. In it, Reese Witherspoon delivers a spot-on line. “You know what the difference is between men and women? Men just do. They decide what they want to do, and they just do it. Women always have to think about the consequences.”
Like today. After days of rain, it’s finally beautiful outside. I’ll be out on my bike soon, but even then, where is my mind?
With the victims of Parkside, with the gun war, with social media and online identity. With what it takes — what it really takes — to become a writer. (Do you need a degree? Dickens didn’t.) With passion versus practicality. With “forge ahead” versus “let it flow.” With “be yourself” versus “be what others want from you.” With finances. With family. With faith versus real-world experience. With famine versus plenty . . .
With race, privilege, power, poverty, circumstance, personal responsibility, finances, friendship, loneliness, thankfulness, climate change, litter, recycling, consumerism, capitalism, love, hate, tradition, change, aging . . .
Did I mention that I think too much?
I’m tired of being sorry.
Sorry, I’m not sorry.
shift 
As a man who does also, I reject the generalization from the movie. ;)
Yes it isn’t just us ladies who have these thoughts. My chap and I both have these thoughts you describe, and are lucky to have each other to talk to. This isn’t an easy world to be part of if you’re a decent human being, all you can do is be the kindest nicest person you can be. No there’s lots of people who won’t do the same, and we will agonise about their influence on the world, but the only way you can make a difference is to be the good person that you are, and hope, believe that that’s enough.