NEWS

Kirby: Most stressed city in Georgia? They says it’s Augusta

Staff Writer
Augusta Chronicle
Augusta Chronicle

"As much as we might like to pause or rewind, the stream of life marches inexorably on."

— Ben Zimmer

Believe it or not, our town is the "most stressed" in Georgia and one of the top 25 most stressed cities in America.

So says WalletHub, a website forever taking polls and ranking cities and states on such metrics as cheapest energy costs (Massachusetts) or best states for military retirees (Virginia).

Earlier this month, it focused on stress, weighing numerous factors in four large stress categories — work, financial, family and health. It said the COVID-19 situation inspired the effort.

When finished, it announced Cleveland was the most stressed community in America, but Augusta came in at No. 23, edging out No. 24 Columbus, Ga., by 0.04 points.

Augusta - https://static.augusta.com/images/misc/ac/assets/offer.html

I admit being suspicious when Atlanta — that mellow metropolis down the road — did much better at handling stress at No. 37.

In the four categories, Augusta actually did well with work-related stress, coming in at No. 88 nationally, wedged between Toledo, Ohio, and Chula Vista, Calif. But that was the high mark.

We weren't great at family stress, where we ranked No. 54, just ahead of Akron, but behind Dover, Del.

We were a little worse (although questionably ranked) in health stress at No. 40, ahead of St. Louis and behind Laredo, Texas.

Financial stress might have been the torpedo that sunk us. We ranked 12th nationally when it came to worrying about our money.

Now, does all this worry me?

Not really. Any stress measurement that would have us ahead of New York and Chicago has got to be suspicious.

I am curious how you could rate all the cities in America and somehow miss Macon and Savannah, Ga., which share so many demographics with Augusta and Columbus.

I also know that statistics can be tortured into revealing just about anything.

Besides, stress is not always a bad thing. As WalletHub itself says: "Certain kinds of stress can have positive effects on a person’s well-being, at least in the right doses. According to Psychology Today, ’A little bit of stress, known as ‘acute stress,’ can be exciting — it keeps us active and alert.“

TODAY’S JOKE: While walking along the sidewalk in front of his church, the minister heard a prayer. Apparently his 5-year-old son and playmates had found a dead robin. Feeling a proper burial should be performed, they moved ahead with disposal of the deceased.

The minster’s son was chosen to say the appropriate prayers, and with serious dignity he repeated what he thought his father always said: “Glory be unto the faaaather, and unto the sonnnn ... and into the hole he go-o-o-es.”