So for those of you who have been following along, we only have two more chances to Winter Well. Spring starts March 20th, so let’s knuckle down and finish strong.
Has anyone noticed how negative the news media is? Alright you know I’m kidding, of course you know news is synonymous with bad. There seems to be no such thing as “good” news. Good news really is as hard to find as Sasquatch.
Is that because it doesn’t exist?
Or could it be that we have been seduced by the constant stream of information telling us how badly we are blowing it as individuals, neighbors, municipalities, states and nations? It really does appear that we can’t get anything right. Is it because of the excitement/entertainment value? Crisis seems to happen now, and often, and goodness comes in slowly, unannounced. Is that because the forces of entropy create a million ways that things can tend toward disorder and chaos, and only a few that allow for goodness?
Or are we just not looking?
So here is the challenge for the remaining part of winter. Turn it all off. Don’t watch the news. Don’t read the paper. Change the channel on the radio when the little helper DJ reminds you that life really does stink. “Ha ha fooled you, you were just enjoying a great song and now we want to crash your party with some ‘news’.” And by the way un-follow the news pages on Social Media too.
I must admit I have been an avid news avoider for years and I’m amazed at how much I haven’t missed. I know this might fly in the face of what we think good citizenship means, but it doesn’t. Being tied in knots over things out of our control has never mattered one bit to anyone. Anywhere. Ever. Wake up! These things are out of your control! You will hear what you need to know just in your common dealing with other humans.
Here is my proposal, once you have turned it all off, for a trial at least, FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL. Focus on your work; focus on your family, your hobbies. Focus on making a contribution somewhere. Serve the people who present themselves into your world and our community, the ones you can put faces and names to. Write a review, a good review. Write a good country song! (Wait there is no such thing.) Learn to play chess. Learn to ski. Learn to look for what is good.
That’s right. Learn to look. And keep looking.
The news media has no interest in this so get your little rebellious britches on and let’s ignore it all.
Ok, so let’s set a time limit, say Easter, and then reevaluate our media avoidance.
Sound Fair?
Please let me know if you are in.
Here is an article I found that I thought was amazing! The Media Exaggerates Negative News
Cheers
ks
Mar 07, 2018 at 7:06 PM
Now hold on one cotton-pickin' minute, no good country song ever written?!?! You just turn your radio knob to 101.9 and listen in for a bit and hear some gawrsh darn good music! ;) Also, I don't mind listening/watching the news BUT I do avoid Facebook most of the time for the purpose of not getting tangled up into controversial topics (aka gun control most recently) and other "news" stories. I mean, I scroll through to see all my friends' adorable babies of course, but that's about it. ;)
Mar 07, 2018 at 9:08 PM
MaryKate you continue to surprise me. Why, you bein' a teacher lady at an arts and crafts school and all. If you are talking about Willie Nelson then we are still friends. SO are you in?
Mar 12, 2018 at 4:55 AM
Have been ignoring it and will continue to do so. Great message.
Mar 12, 2018 at 9:09 AM
Good for you Rebecca!