Seems that keeping up with current events is a surefire way to get a headache. The nonstop, rapid-fire news of scandal, discord, betrayal, mayhem, and injustice surely stimulate sensations of helplessness and being overwhelmed.
Perhaps this is why mindless diversion is all the rage. Witness the popularity of escapism at the cinema, with superheroes violently reclaiming justice in the face of evil. Ponder the growing number of those who have embraced videogames on their computers, tablets, and phones, adding a virtual world of endorphin stimulation to their busy daily schedules, often at the expense of sleep.
Perhaps this is a natural reaction to feeling powerless and vulnerable in our world. We are told we cannot trust government or the news media. In the meantime, governments deny culpability in the trouble they’ve started, and dispute any media reports deviating from the official interpretation of said trouble.
As we’ve discussed before, there may be few options to brighten the world in which we live, but any efforts to do so must start in our own little corner.
Word arrived recently of a high school chum’s father had died. With my dad’s death 19 years in the past, my first reaction was jealousy that this guy had his old man around for so many more years. But then I recalled how profound a change in my life and how difficult my father’s passing was. Unable to attend a memorial service, I sent a note of condolence to my schoolmate.
I also learned a childless couple from my former neighborhood had lost their dear dog to cancer. In the old days, I would regularly run into them going to or coming from a long walk with their four-legged friend; the animal consistently welcomed me as an extended member of her pack, wiggling and wagging and offering her flank for an affectionate rub. Thinking of the pet in my life, past and present, my heart was broken for them. I couldn’t do much to ease their sorrow, but they, too, received a letter expressing sadness at the loss.
Through my circle of friends came whispers one of our pals had started yet another round of chemotherapy for cancer that refuses to go away. I cannot begin to imagine the mental and emotional toll such an illness takes on a person, as well as on their family. What is more, it seems there is little that I can do to help, but today I will mail a card with a few encouraging words and an offer to bring some food or mow the lawn.
I suppose the point is this: in the face of all that is unpleasant in our world, we can’t just sit and do nothing. And if we can’t change what’s happening in the capitals of our world, or our country, or our state, maybe we can at least ease the burden of someone in our community. Though we can’t make things better for all humanity, we can surely try to do so for the people around us.
Perhaps it’s time to turn off the news and see who needs a hand.
Pat Grimes, a former South Bay resident, writes from Ypsilanti, Mich. He can be reached at grimespat19@gmail.com