Are you denying reality?

Some people refuse to acknowledge reality.

Some executives - like the chairman and ceo of Merril Lynch, John Thain - still want their million-dollar bonuses.

Some retailers are so concerned with their image that they refuse to reduce prices. Abercrombie & Fitch, for example, still charges the same $60 for a polo shirt that it did 18 months ago.

And some parents are so determined to protect their children from any unhappiness that they'll buy the latest toy on the market no matter what the cost.

It is worthwhile at this time to review a basic pyramid of health developed more than 60 years ago.

We are not talking about the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Pyramid.

Abraham Maslow was a psychologist who developed a hierarchy of needs in the form of a pyramid, based on his observations of healthy people. The lowest level is physiological, i.e., breathing, food, water, sleep, etc. We need to take care of our needs at this level before we can ascend to the next one, which is safety; the security of our physical selves, home, job and family.

It makes no sense to wear that expensive polo when (excuse my French) your pants are falling down.

So don't pretend to wear The Emperor's New Clothes. You have more to risk than your vanity.