In these times, there are lessons.

Normally in this space I talk to you of issues related to the newspaper, how or why we do what we do.

But today I'd like to take a little side trip to share some of what the experience of living with uncertainty over the future of the Rocky has taught me.

Our jobs changed on Dec. 4, when the E.W. Scripps Co. announced that the paper was for sale. Until then, like many people, we could look ahead and plan for the coming days, weeks, months and even years. I had not realized what it would mean to lose that ability until it was gone.

I quickly discovered how much of my job revolved around planning and building for the future and how much I depended on the stability of my job to be able to plan for my family's future.

My lesson isn't just about the meaning of work, although clearly that is part of it. It's about how trying it can be when the future clouds and people begin to wonder what's in store for them.

When you can't take actions today believing with some certainty that they will pay off down the road, life changes - and not for the better.

I know in our society we place much value on living in the moment. America's greatest music, jazz, is based on improvisation. But the musicians do not start playing fearing that at any minute the power will be pulled from their amplifiers. They're confident that the people they're jamming with will still be standing when the music stops.

That's not the case anymore at this newspaper, or at many other employers around the country. Instead, we come to work not knowing whether the next day may be our last in our jobs.

I do not write about this because I in any way want you to feel sorry for me or my colleagues. We have been very lucky to be able to do this work in this city with this group of people. We have no God-given right to be able to continue if it doesn't make financial sense.

But I hope that in reading what I have learned you might gain a better understanding of what others in our society may be experiencing - whether poor children who cannot see a future stemming from their work in a classroom or adults stuck without a job. Perhaps what I've learned may help you respond constructively if you're ever in a similar situation, value even more what you have today, or reach out to others who feel they've lost control over their lives.

Uncertainty saps a person's motivation. It can weaken even the strongest among us.

The strangest thing I've discovered is that I feel more tired at times like this than when I'm working hard but not worrying about the future. Of course there are many good reasons to shake off the restless nights and keep plugging away: We have a commitment to our readers, professional integrity, loyalty to our colleagues, an obligation to live up to the standards set by those who came before us, and many more.

So we go on.

Nevertheless, we feel the strain.

I am confident we will get through this. A few years from now, many will look back and see that things have turned out well, even for the better. For some, sadly, that won't be true.

No matter what, we will have a deeper appreciation for what we had before our future was pulled out from under us.

As much as people facing the loss of a job might want to live in the present, it's not really possible. As much as we might wish we wouldn't worry, that's not really possible, either.

In this economy, even people with stable jobs are experiencing similar uncertainty. They fear that one day they might be in our position. They find their ability to make even simple purchases frozen. They no longer know what they can count on.

I know how lucky we remain. There are many in the world who can't plan beyond where they might get their next meal. Still, in America, we believe in the power of individuals to shape their own lives. We don't believe that life is outside our control.

The most effective way to fight back - besides eating chocolate or working out - seems to be to try to seize back the initiative, to take even small steps that might give a sense of momentum, a sense of hope.

There's always some way a person can do that. It is what I've encouraged my staff to do. It's what I would tell you to try if you find yourself facing unemployment. It is far better than waiting to learn your fate.

John Temple can be reached at editor@RockyMountainNews.com or by mail at 101 W. Colfax Ave., Suite 500, Denver, CO 80202.