Coping with Crazy-Awful World News
Hello again.
I’m wondering how many of you have been having a bigger than usual problem paying attention to the news these days.
Is it just me, or does it seem like things are more of a mess than usual?
I’m interested in hearing how people cope with the onslaught of such terrible world events – beheadings, bombings, shootings, earthquakes – not to mention the uptick of nonstop incivility that seems to be everywhere, but especially in our national politics, which, no doubt degrades the social discourse that the rest of us engage in..
Sometimes I take a news fast – just can’t stand another hideous dollop of it, so I shut it all off. This doesn’t feel like it’s in keeping with my idea of being a responsible citizen, but there you have it. There are times I’m on overload and need to stick my head in the sand – and do.
Sometimes I make a contribution to an organization trying to help on that big, worldwide scale. I’ll spend time finding out from friends and experts I trust where to best send it. If feels like a drop in the bucket, but it’s doing something, and it counters that debilitating helplessness we all feel from passively watching terrible things happening to real people.
Sometimes I just focus in on doing something small but useful and effective – something that I know could actually help somebody in my corner of the world, even if it has nothing to do with the ugliness on the news.
Have you been thinking about this too? What do you do?
All best,
