Friday, October 3, 2008

The Blessing of No News

The summer between my sophomore and junior years in college, I decide to forego another hot, hard-working summer driving a loud, dusty tractor in the small wheat community I grew up in. I used my Spring Break to interview and get hired for a summer job at a nice resort in the Ozarks. Not only would I be in the air conditioning of the main restaurant, I could grab two nice meals each night for my roommate and I while he, as the bartender, grabbed the libations for after work. The group of college kids working there became quite close due to the surprisingly limited variety of activities available to us at the resort. Cable TV and 24 hour news channels had not yet been invented. We worked hard at night, partied harder into the morning, then napped near the pool the next day before starting the cycle again. We were so absorbed in our microsphere that we didn't know John Wayne had died for almost a month.

I am reaching maximum exposure to this year's election news. Debates, gaffes, experience, change, change, change...everything is dissected and over-examined. My patience is being tested every time I turn on the television or radio. The noise is so loud, I can't hear the soft, quiet voice inside me. I need to get away long enough to hear it again. I need "no news". I need to talk to someone about my thoughts, not listen to pundits about theirs. I need to actively participate in the world, not passively watch it on tv. I need to go for a long walk.

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