Except for reading about Senator Obama's historic win in the Democratic primaries, I've been eschewing the news, both in print and on television. I rarely even look at the headlines here on the web. It has been remarkably liberating. Nothing has changed for me personally except a lessening of an underlying sense of dread that the fear mongers from Washington have sought to instill in all of us.
Honestly I had no idea how deeply this national paranoia had affected me until I stopped feeding the fear fires. I am certain I am in no more danger now than I was a month ago when I took my first news break. I am of course acutely aware of the price of gasoline, as well as the rising prices at the supermarket. But that knowledge comes from shopping, and I don't need talking heads to tell me that things are going from bad to worse economically.
There are other areas of my life I wish I could take the same kind of break from. Unfortunately, I have to keep taking my anti-cancer meds, keep going to the doctor, keep waiting for the inheritance to show up in my bank account, yada yada yada... but at least these things are somewhat under my control. I get to choose my worries and prioritize according to my needs and preferences.
I don't miss smug smirking Lou Dobbs. I don't miss cute little Katie or Wolf Blitzer trying so hard to look and sound sincere as he assures us we are listening to the "best" whatever the CNN group du jour is. Sometimes I think my best news sources may be Bloom County and Doonsbury.
At any rate, this news holiday thing may become a habit. It is refreshing to say the least, and leaves me with time to contemplate the more important issues, like my carbon footprint, selection of a new charitable activity, reading (currently it's Spinoza and Richard Dawkins), and being quiet. I'd say it's working. I'm calmer already, and I've lost some weight.
Monday, June 09, 2008
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