No News Is Good News

I am off the news for a while. Usually I am a news junkie. I flip between news stations like the character "Tommy" by the Who. I watch everything from financial to social shows absorbing in as much data as I can. I read the news, go to political sites on the web and try and keep up on C-SPAN. But no more, not for a very long while, I fear. I may be stricken down with the "I can't believe my eyes and ears" syndrome After seeing all the horrendous stuff about businesses we bailed out, missing children, incestuous relationships with fathers, children murdered in cold blood by their mothers and Congress, well, to be quite honest, I believe it may have weakened my heart. As in the olden days I decided to take to my bed and try to sleep my way out of this. I stayed there approximately 10 minutes before the family asked what was for dinner. Though the 10 minutes did my heart good, I had to get up and get on with it. There was no time to ween myself off of all the goings on in America.I had to act quickly if I was going to save myself, so I cut it off cold turkey. My original thought was to only watch things like Entertainment Tonight, but then there was all the coverage of that terrible divorcing couple and their eight kids who are caught in the middle. Nope, it was going to have to be a complete blackout for me. I have decided in order to insure my sanity and a retain a modicum of hope I will read my little town paper and that is all for now.

I have no idea when I will go back to my Brian Williams and his sexy, soothing voice. He's my news junkie's eye candy. Gone is Anderson Cooper, a girl's best friend. So long Ryan Seacrest and your ridiculously perfect hair. I am not even going to tune in to the weather channel anymore. It's all too much.

I miss Walter Cronkite so much I could weep. I grew up with him and David Brinkley. They came on at 6 pm and delivered the news in an objective, professional manner. They said what had to be said and disappeared into the night as quietly as they had come in. They sugar coated nothing and fact checked everything. They didn't suck all the oxygen out of the room like the news today. I feel no better knowing everything than I did growing up knowing only what was reported at 6. In fact, now I feel overwhelmed and exhausted by what is considered to be news these days.

This is not a negative for me. I plan on looking at it like a fast of sorts. I will do this cleanse and come out on the other side and see how I feel. Chances are very good that my Brian Williams will be back on my screen within the month. The rest? I will probably have to do some purging and let that go. My newly uncluttered mind may actually be able to come up with some new opinions and original thoughts.

About every 6 months I write about not watching the telly so much and doing things differently. This time I think I mean it. I believe I have turned a corner here. Today I have already been up for hours and the TV remains off. My goal is to not watch any today and tomorrow take one hour at a time. The withdrawal may cause me to crave the Internet, but I am going to keep myself down to the bare minimum on that, too.

It's fall here in Houston and cooler weather is right around the corner. My only news for the next few months will be what the neighbors have to say and the football scores for our high school. If anyone feels there is something dire I need to know, send it in a letter or email to me. Otherwise, all this ignorant soul will know is bliss.