My entire adult life, for almost fifty years, I did not own a TV. When Covid hit, we got one, and our kids bought us Netflix. I have now seen more movies in one week than I saw in my entire High School years. And I have binged watched a couple of TV Shows or Documentaries, where I forgot to eat, shower, or sleep.

I don't think it was a good idea to get a TV. LOL

Now on Rallypoint I have seen more current events, political articles and cartoons lampooning every single elected person in America, I think. And those cartoons are hilarious. What isn't hilarious is the depth of feeling in some of the comments.

My life has been a good one. Partially, I believe because I don't watch the News. Reading the News, like I used to in the Newspaper was a lot different experience. And even there I didn't read many Political stories.

What I did do, just two weeks ago, was listen to one hour of FOX News, and then one hour of CNN. I checked to see what stories were the lead, and how they were covered. I looked up some of the facts to see how either Network "spun" their coverage. And then went to their webpages to see what kind of things they put on the Internet. Four hours later I was exhausted, frustrated, angry and Sad.

It took me two days to purge my system from all the hate, murder, unrest, bullying, and tragedy I witnessed in just those few hours. "if it bleeds, it leads."
People's whole lives, and their loss- in sixty second sound bites, then on to the next horror of the modern world.

I can tell you I won't be doing it again. How anybody can eat dinner while watching the horror unfolding - sometimes in real time, and stay sane, or empathetic is beyond me. I don't think I am better than other people because I don't watch TV News, but I do think I feel better because I don't.
My world is much smaller than that. And it is filled with love, laughter, and people I care about moving along the paths they have chosen. It doesn't mean I am unaware of things in the World. It is just that I choose to focus on my daily life.
If something truly big happens, folks will let you know. Sometimes even without asking. I still believe in People. I saw a guy whose truck was all draped out in Trump Bling, and hateful stickers saying ugly things about President Biden et all, and yet he had pulled over to help a young couple with their car. And their car had stickers too, but with those stickers saying ugly things about President Trump. I had pulled over just to see if anyone needed a ride somewhere. And the Trump guy saw my Hat, and his eyes lit up. "My Dad served in the 25th!" Turns out the guy with the stalled car, was a former Marine stationed in Hawaii.

So what do you think the conversation was about? Trump? Politics? Doom? Gloom? Nope, it was about Hawaii, and what islands should you visit if you only have ten days vacation. And then it shifted to the simple fact that all three of us had ugly Hawaiian shirts at home that our wives hated.

And that is why I think we are going to be okay...if we turn our TV's off for a few hours a day. Hear that? It is my Soapbox falling over! Thanks for letting me vent.