News'd OUT

John R. Hall

Do you ever have times when you just want to shut off the switch and shut down all news from outside your world? I know that may sound strange coming from someone in the news profession but even I suffer from burnout.

I call it news "overload." I think it may be due to the fact that there seems to be a proliferation of negative news in recent times, from court trials to political campaigns to world unrest. I'm surprised that I don't reach for an Advil every day (thankfully it isn't that bad).

I sometimes take the selfish attitude that all that matters is my little world around me -- my wife and two children. That's not a bad thing, either. After all, they are the center of my universe and always will be. But then I wonder if I am being too selfish and closing off people and events that should be a part of my life.

That's why it is a refreshing break to use the Internet (as it seems I do almost 24/7) to pick and choose what I want to learn about and who I want to communicate with. It's also why this place is always at or near the top of my browser. Wallies are special people who care about their families, friends and their profession. I appreciate that and respect that.

Pardon me if I sound a bit cerebral and introspective this morning. Have a great weekend.

\"Maine\" doug

It is that effect that

allows us to ignore the 14,000 murders that occur every year. Also we can ignore the hundreds of thousands of friends and relatives that die from alcohol related car crashes and cigarette smoking. And we can also ignore the fact that the richest country in the world has no basic health care and barely affordable health care for our small businesses.
We are bombarded with ads to buy this or that, news of chaos and confusion and political promises.
Yeah, you are right, no wonder why we retreat into a shell and try to ignore the world around us. Where is my chocolate pie. Good thing there are the Dan's around us who are always reaching out and also provide these retreats which we visit and learn and interact and agree and disagree and understand. And despite the mess, add some comfort to the lives of many people.