It should be no surprise considering that I quite intentionally blew up every bit of stability in my life. Hell, I quit my job, gave up my apartment, and hit the road for 12 glorious days. But oddly enough, it doesn't bother me that none of the house keys on my key ring are to my own place. During our trip when I bought a cool wall hanging in Arizona, Lori teased me by exclaiming, "You don't have a wall!" And with every fridge magnet I bought she reminded me, "You don't have a refrigerator!"
No, the fact that I'm mooching off my dear friends and have no real source of income isn't what's setting me out of whack. I think it's the fact that since I've been here in Albany, I've been watching more of the news.
There's ugly shit going on.
God knows you could call me a million names, and "Bird Lover" wouldn't make the cut. But even I am repulsed by the images we're seeing from the disaster in the Gulf.
Yes, I'm actually feeling sorry for birds. Jesus H, what a friggin' mess. I mean, where would you start? You have to wonder how much more those poor people in Louisiana can endure.
The whole thing is overwhelming. I feel like a helpless asshole. Helpless because I'm at a loss as to what I can possibly do to make the situation better, and an asshole because I'm the kind of person who starts whining when CVS discontinues my favorite shade of lipstick.
Have you ever read Louise Hay's You Can Heal Your Life? It's a classic in the metaphysical world. She says to never watch the news; it can only bring you down. No shit. But is it okay to simply ignore world events and live in your own wonderful world? Some kind of atrocity is happening at any given moment and the reality is there's not a goddamn thing you can do about it. Is it better just not to know?
See? This is what's sending me out of whack. I'm completely overwhelmed.
Well, this is the first time I've ever posted a picture of a bird on this blog. And also the first time I've posted a photo of myself and my sisters playing bingo.
That's our youngest sister, Stacie. Lori and I stopped in on her last Friday night on our last night on the road and caught a bingo game at the local firehouse in Fairfax, Virginia.
That was in the good old days before I started getting caught up in Anderson Cooper.
How about you? Does the news make you mental, too?
12 comments:
What a serious environmental issue this is! Last night's newscast showed how the muck has invaded the beaches of Pensacola, FL! (By the way, the herring never returned to Alaska even after all these years - thanks, Exxon Valdez!)
Tell me about it Linda! I live in Florida and I'm from Louisiana but even I don't really watch the news! I mean what can I do as a stay at home mom with a two year old? Besides visit the beaches and help clean up from time to time? But then again, I don't want to expose myself or my toddler to oil getting in our lungs! I dunno, it's very sad indeed. But yeah, it's much more blissful to not watch TV or the news which is why I rarely do. It's much more fun to read celebrity gossip and then feel better about your life! :-)
I do hope you feel less out of whack soon though and maybe find a wall and a fridge to hang up your new things! But Home isn't really a "place" -- it's just where you feel comfortable and loved.
Maya and I just got back from our honeymoon, Linda, and I waited two days before I turned on the news. I immediately turned it off. I absolutely could not take it, not even for one second.
We are worried here in Florida. We count on visitors down here. Money is leaving the state right now. It may not come back. If hurricanes hit that water, it will be in my backyard. And I am not by the water. We are screwed, double sigh
I can't bear to watch the news (or even read it). I know it means that I'm somewhat ill-informed about important world events, but all the horribleness literally depresses me.
It's beyond sad. I don't watch the news but catch the headlines on the internet. Even then, I'm selective about what I read.
Looks like you all had fun playing bingo. Did you win anything?
Lately I haven't been watching much news!! It is very depressing!
It makes me so mental that I clicked off your blog the second I saw the bird. But then I could not resist to see what you wrote so I came back and squinted as I scrolled past.
I love Louise but don't know if I can agree with her about the news thing....its horrible but its real. We can't help it or change it, but in some ways it makes me appreciate my life even more even in the midst of my own "stuff". And if everyone ignored it, who would be passionate and caring enough to help? We can make a difference just by how we live our lives. You make a difference to tons of people. Every time you leave the frigging house and run into a human being you talk to them and make a difference. Every word you write, photo you take, joke you crack. Its all part of your contribution to humanity. This sounds SO lame, but I mean it.
p,s,
I did borrow the kitchen magnet.
I just tweeted on Twitter yesterday about how heartbreaking the pictures are from the oil spill. I can't even look at them without wanting to down an entire bottle of Lunesta. If you make it back down to Philly, you can crash here for a few days. The pool is open. ;-)
Oh, and I love Louise Hay.
Holy crap, I thought I was on the wrong blog when I saw the bird. As everyone knows, you and I have the same bird phobias however I too have felt horrible for those little guys seeing them covered in oil.
I'm not touching the Bingo thing. I just can't go there.
The news can be crushing to watch. So very sad what's going on right now in the Gulf...and I know what you mean about being helpless.
TRagic.
How did bingo go?
Post a Comment