Freaking out

OK, I'm starting to freak out about the economy now. Not that I wasn't worried before, but my neighbor caught me as I was getting the mail and she basically did a boogie man thing on me, looking straight into my eyes saying, "You'd better be taking care of your financial future. It's getting bad and it's all going to fall apart.". Now, I'm not one to take the advice of random people, but her intensity just freaked me out. Then my other neighbor told me they just lost their GM pension and insurance (they're in their late 60s). With the indyMac and FreddyMac crap that happened yesterday I'm just reeling a little today. I don't want to be 95 working at Wegmans. I work hard damn it and I want my money to be there for me when I'm old. It's so hard to save for retirement. I have a new 401K (the old one was wiped out), but I only have so many earning years to fill it. Argh...if only I were independently wealthy and I didn't have to worry about this crap. I could take care of myself and my family and work without the stress of all that goes with it. Work for the pleasure of work (and I do believe there is pleasure in work). But alas...I don't live in a fairy tale world. I live in the US in 2008. I will say though, I have faith that our country can turn itself around. I'm not one of those 'the US is going to hell in a hand basket' people. I just wish it would happen sooner than later.