Several years ago, Brenda took a overnight trip to South Haven with several of her friends. One night, after they had left a restaurant, Brenda realized that she had left her purse behind. Brenda's and her friends quickly turned around to walk back and retrieve the purse. Everyone followed except for Ann Sullivan. When Brenda asked Ann why she wasn't going back to the restaurant, Ann simply said "It's not my purse".
I have reflected on Ann's comment many times and it has become an inside joke for Brenda and me. Often when we are caught up in the concerns of the world or of other people, we try to remind ourselves "it's not my purse". This phrase is not meant to demonstrate a lack of empathy or an unwillingness to help, but is rather a reflection that I can't solve or be responsible for every problem. It today's age of instant information and sensational journalism, this simple phase is more relevant than ever.
Over the last year, I have found myself preoccupied with the hot news of the day or of concerns over which I have no control. I was at the gym today and CNN had "Urgent Breaking News". What was it? They moved the memorial service for Michael Jackson to the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Years ago, "Urgent Breaking News" consisted of Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor or Kennedy's assassination. Airports, banks, restaurants and stores all have TVs tuned to CNN or Fox News. I also have several applications on my Iphone to ensure that I never miss one headline. We even have Facebook and Twitter giving family and friends the ability to share every action they make and every problem they face.
So what is the impact of this predominance of information? Well the military has been studying the high rate of suicides among today's soldiers. One explanation is that unlike previous generations, today's soldiers are able to stay update on all the happenings back at home. This includes good news but also news of financial struggles, kid issues, etc. So instead of just being able to focus on their work in defending our country, they must also worry about about personal problems on the home front - problems they can not solve while stationed in Iraq.
I don't like the negativity of the news and find myself getting distracted and depressed over issues out of my control. A main reason I enjoy my trips to the cabins and to Italy is that I am separated from the news and my cell phone. I am able to play games, read for pleasure, sit on the beach or sip a glass of wine and people watch in an Italian Piazza.
My goal is to remember "it is not my purse" and focus on what I can control and what I need to be responsible for. I think that I will enjoy life more by disconnecting myself from the world. Not in a selfish way, but to enjoy the simple things in life and spend more time being thankful for good news and less worried about bad news.
Let me know your thoughts: instant news - good or bad for us?
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2 comments:
For some reason, I'm reminded of this comic.
It's not reading too much news that gets me depressed, it's reading too many anonymous commentators on news websites.
A lot of it depends on how much you let the news get to you. I enjoy the intellectual stimulation I get from grappling with major political issues, hence why I do extemporaneous speaking, but I try to remember that I can't actually affect anything that happens outside of my own little environment in Portage.
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