Monthly Archives: April 2019

Cable News Trauma

Posted on by
Reply

The first time I remember seeing a “breaking news” banner was around the time that Ronald Reagan was shot. Breaking News was reserved for the type of news that truly impacted a great deal of people and that needed to be communicated quickly. The bright red banner got the attention of the viewer and told us that this was an important announcement. Breaking News in 2019 can include a tweet by the President, a sports figure achieving a new feat, or a celebrity getting married.

My current news viewing habits consist of an hour of local news in the morning to understand the weather and traffic concerns, as well as about fifteen minutes of Good Morning America to hear the headlines. For everyday political news I rely on Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland from the Pantsuit Politics podcast. They have been on a promotional tour for their new book “I Think You’re Wrong, But I’m Listening” and have appeared on several national shows.

This morning, they were part of a conversation on MSNBC’s The Morning Joe. I recorded the show to allow me to just watch their portion. I had to fast forward on my DVR to their segment and was startled to feel a visceral reaction to the imagery used on The Morning Joe. The color choices and bold fonts made me feel attacked in the same way that Fox News does when I am exposed to it at the gym and doctors offices.

I believe in the power of journalism and support organizations that are truly striving to communicate the news of the day. However, the cable news shows are possibly doing more harm than good. The message is not the issue as much as the delivery of the message. I hope to continue to limit my news consumption as a method of self care. I am not covering my head and denying the reality of the day. Instead, I am carefully selecting a safe means for learning about the events of our society.

Learning from those who have walked before me

Posted on by
Reply

One of the true gifts of a small church is the intergenerational community that occurs out of necessity. During Lent, I am participating in a study that is built around the poems of Mary Oliver. The class that is hosting the study is regularly attended by women in their 70’s or older and most of them are widows. Yesterday, we shared about experiences how we experienced nature in unique ways, one of the women at the table discussed how she attended a sunrise service at the local lake on the Easter after losing her husband. During a moment of silence she heard a bird sing and felt an intimate connection with her husband and God. The lake had special meaning for her husband and the family had scattered his ashes over the water.

Soon after that story, the leader asked for volunteers to read and when the woman next to me began reading a poem she was suddenly overcome with grief. When I discussed it with her later, she said that the words reminded her of her husband and she missed him so much. Still – four years later, the grief was as fresh as yesterday.

As I reflected on both experiences, I thought about my husband and how much I cherish our life together. It is easy to take such things for granted as we go about our daily lives, but seeing others who are living without their partners reminded me to embrace the relationship I have and celebrate our journey together. I often crave community with people in my own stage of life. However, if I isolate myself too much I will miss out on all that I can learn from others who have lived a full life. Additionally, I need to be able to model for people younger than me what I have learned so far in my experiences.

So for today, I will embrace the small church and all that it has to teach me.