No News IS Good News

I'm pretty ignorant. I admit it. Because I have no television, I am not "in the loop." Sure, I own a TV set (one), but it's on loan from the Smithsonian and it only functions as a DVD player. My house has no cable, no satellite dish, and no other such device for viewing the hundreds of channels that blare into the homes of most Americans. So, I don't know what the hell you're talking about when you discuss American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, True Blood, Glee (yes, I hear it's fabulous), and all the rest.

I'm ignorant.

But I also think I might be a happier person for it. First of all, people are always shocked to hear what all I "do." Frankly, there are not enough hours in the day as it is, so I really can't spare the FIVE hours the average American spends daily in front of the tube. (I know. They don't have tubes anymore. It's just an expression.) I like to read, to paint, to write, to plant stuff, to entertain company, to play games, to play catch in the yard, to make a fire and roast marshmallows...all around the time I have to devote to teaching, taking TESOL class, doing my homework, working out, and grading piles of papers. When do I have time for television?

So the big question I get when people hear this shocking revelation is, "Well, where do you get your news?" Now, I would love to say that I read the New York Times cover to cover every day, but I don't. To tell the truth, I can't remember the last time I read a newspaper. I think I bought one to spread on the table so we could dye Easter eggs back in April.

But I do listen to the radio, both mainstream stations and NPR, and I believe this has distinct advantages. One, NPR doesn't try to wrap up stories in less than two minutes. They dig into a story and cover it from various angles. I like that. Also, they don't repeat stories every seven minutes, assuming you "just tuned in," like television does. And the best reason: no visuals.

CNN and Fox News and their ilk have an annoying habit of cluttering up the screen with all kinds of garbage: banners, boxes, crawlers, titles, headlines. And I am supposed to be listening to Greta or Wolf or Christiana or Sanjay or Anderson tell me what's up around the globe while reading all this visual cacophony? No wonder we are all on Adderall these days.

The second, and graver, reason why I avoid visual media is because of something called "compassion fatigue." And I don't wanna get it. This very real syndrome is usually associated with caregivers in trauma situations or journalists reporting on hopeless conditions involving suffering, but we regular Joes and Janes are getting it now, too. When exposed to misery day in and day out, we eventually become exhausted and cynical. The first time we see an advertisement for Save the Children, our hearts ache and we pull out our checkbook. The seventy-fifth time we see the ad, we think to ourselves, "That reminds me...I want a sandwich." Then we flip the channel and go to the kitchen to fix one.

So, how do I function at such an ignorant, uninformed level? Actually, I do just fine. Think about it. How does knowing the details of that bullying incident in another state enrich your life experience? How does having seen the pictures of the dead girl being carried out of the destroyed federal building really make you a better citizen? How has your knowledge base increased because you know all the details of Tiger Woods' affairs?

Life is really freaking short. Every second of every day is a choice, whether we see it that way or not. We are choosing. When we choose to fill our brains and souls with images of human misery and suffering, images of death and pain, images of violence and destruction, that becomes part of who we are. And it absolutely changes the way we feel, the way we see others, and the way we view the world.

Several years ago, I read Eight Weeks to Optimum Health by Dr. Andrew Weil. In addition to nutrition and exercise advice, Andrew (my pal) suggests going on a "news fast" for your spiritual health. I tried it, and I never went back. Now, when I see news stories at the gym or my parents' house, I realize I'm not missing a thing. There are other things to be informed about that we are missing while we stare at the crawlers and banners and boxes. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Get informed about something else during that time.

Do you know how a Chikadee call sounds? Do you know what the sun looks like as it sets on the ocean? Do you know what a Jewelweed leaf does when you put it in water? (Try it.) Can you identify constellations? Do you know what poison ivy looks like? Do you know how to tell a white oak from a red oak? Do you know how to tell if a snake is venomous?

Well, I do.

Not bad for an ignorant girl with no TV.