Block Out The News

Anyone who has visited this website knows that history is one of my hobbies.  I never get tired of good biographies and learning about the events that shaped the world.  You might conclude from that fact that I am very interested in what’s happening in today’s world.  You would be correct.  I use my knowledge of history as a foundation for understanding what is happening in today’s world.  But I have to be honest.  Every once in a while even I have to block out the news.  It can be overwhelming sometimes and a steady diet of it without a reprieve can cause anxiety and many a sleepless night.

I think it’s a good thing to block out the news from time to time as long as you don’t abandon your responsibility of staying informed entirely.  I believe everyone has an obligation to be as knowledgeable about the events of the day as they can be because, that’s how a democracy survives.  While it is easy to become angry and write off our system of government as hopeless, I think we all know it’s not the right thing to do even though some of our leaders seem determined to make that their mission in life.  Some of them might be very happy if everyone stopped voting and left the decisions in their total control but we cannot let that happen.

It's okay to block out the news once in a while.

We have found that travel is a great way to change your perspective and fill your days with other activities rather than a steady diet of world events.  Our travel to other countries has led us to two conclusions.  First, no matter how frustrated we can get with our current political environment, we still live in the greatest country on earth and, sadly, too many of us take that fact for granted.  The second conclusion is that there is more that unites us than divides us.  We have learned that most people want the same thing which is to live safely and peacefully with their family while having access to a good job, adequate healthcare and an educational system that can be used to better their situation.  It’s very simple when you look at it that way and realize that we’re all in this together.  You can block out the news all you want to but, in the end, it’s our choice for whether we work together or constantly try to divide and attack our fellow citizens.  We have much more in common than we think so why do “we, the people” have so much trouble talking to each other?

An amazing insight that we learned as we traveled through Europe, South America, Australia and New Zealand is that, when you listen to the local guides describe the challenges their countries are facing, one of the biggest problems listed is the immigration of people into their country.  These people are trying to better themselves by escaping from poor economic conditions, climate changes that have endangered their livelihood or political or criminal problems that have endangered their safety.  It is easy to forget that the United States was founded by people doing the same thing.  That’s what makes history such a good foundation for understanding our world today.  The problems over time have been very similar but, too often, our answer is to repeat the mistakes of the past.  Although it is tempting to block out the news, listening to the events of the day and comparing them to different times in our history can help us create new solutions based on learning from past mistakes.

So, what does this all mean?  I’ve come to the conclusion that you can never stop learning and you should try to experience as much of this wonderful world that you can.  You’ll come to realize that most people have the same purpose in life and, if we can start working together a little more, we might have a very good shot at bringing peace and prosperity to this troubled world.

As tempting as it might be to block out the news, I encourage you to try to make sense of the problems that face us today.  Little escapes here and there are absolutely fine but, in the end, the determination of a group of people with a united goal of peace and prosperity will be what brings us through the problems we face today.  The little group that gathered in Philadelphia 250 years ago should be our inspiration to re-dedicate ourselves to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness so that everyone has an equal chance of success in life.  Our history is one of the great stories ever written and I encourage you to start a refresher course by reading a biography of people who shaped our country beginning with Mr. Lincoln or General Washington.  It’s a great way to spend your day and start to Enjoy Retired Life!      

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