I have a friend who lives by the statement "I keep my mind free of any polluting thoughts". She has had more than her fair share of health issues. She is a brilliant woman but won't read bad news or listen to it on radio or watch it on television. She firmly believes it affects one's health and outlook. I would wonder at her state of ignorance. How did she navigate her way around without being fully informed?
I resolved at the beginning of this year to avoid blogging about the perilous state of this tiny planet as I've been doing for years and concentrate on the local and familiar, allowing myself the odd explosion when brain buildup becomes unsustainable and rant just happens. The explosions have been minimal. In spite of an oil spill that is poised to engulf the Atlantic sea shore, Iceland and Greece just the beginning of the toppling of the global economic Ponzi scheme, bees in massive decline (and don't think that's not one of the more serious issues)and rumblings of financial uncertainty from the One Who Must Be Obeyed - China.
I write for other publications, often a rant on the political shenanigans and ignorance of Demz Wot Rulez Us, or an exploration of the failure of urban planning, you get the picture.And I was in the midst of writing a diatribe for another publication about something that was seriously chapping my hide....
When something happened to me. This inner, softer, gentler twin emerged and started writing about beauty and friendship and love and music and good food and the warmth of unexpected kindness.
I'm losing my grip, obviously. I need to brush up on BP and their empty clean-up promises.
Oh but I love your rants and have been sorely missing them. Slip a few more in pleeeeease.
ReplyDeletemaybe i need to be more like your friend...I'm not good at ranting unfortunately the world is pretty depressing at the moment
ReplyDelete@Debstar:
ReplyDeleteI miss you too, one should come on soon!!
@Twain:
It's a great release, keep practising!
Yes I truly believe we are at a powerful confluence and I will write about it soon!
XO
WWW
You can try and avoid the bad news but it'll catch up with you eventually. And when it does, you'll be so ill-informed you won't have a clue what's going on or how to deal with it. Unfortunately the bad news is part of life along with the good.
ReplyDeleteI'd say that keeping a fine balance is the best plan, WWW. You seem to manage tht very well.
ReplyDeleteSo much so-called news is nothing more than the media blowing stuff out of proportion to sell copy or gain viewers. If we give that too much attention we'll all go stark starin' bonkers!
The really important stuff, like the oil disaster is something else altogether. I'm just starting to realise what a tragedy it is, and will be for years to come.
@Nick:
ReplyDeleteAs long as we use the information to protect ourselves from serious harm, I've got no problem but so many people just ingest it and carry on fuming and do nothing to change their way of life.
@T:
Yes this BP business is a total crisis along with the many others that are now befalling our tiny little globe.
XO
WWW
As Twilight so rightly states, it's all a question of balance. We ignore what's happening in the world at our peril, but continuous rantings just turn us into grumpy old men (I know, I am one!) and women.
ReplyDeleteI think you nailed a large part of the problem with this sentence: "so many people just ingest it (ugly news)and carry on fuming and do nothing to change their way of life."
ReplyDeleteI think that's where your softer side offers something valuable, a balance to the dark, rant-worthy happenings. Without something to work toward ("beauty and friendship and love and music and good food and the warmth of unexpected kindness"), where does one go when turning from the darkness?
So, thanks for offering a balanced view.
@RJA:
ReplyDeleteAnd there is so much in the world today. I feel a rant coming on...
XO
WWW
@Pauline:
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for those words. I DO endeavour to keep a balance, both personally and in my writing. The darkness is so immense lately we all need to light our candles.
XO
WWW
Sometimes I treat the state of the world as a very dark joke, or a necessary nightmare on the way to better things. And occasional rants are definitely better than bottling the rage.
ReplyDelete