Why Oh Why did I watch the NEWS?????
By AskAlly
@AskAlly (3625)
Canada
February 3, 2007 6:45pm CST
Livng where we do is so isolated from tne rest of the world. We are pretty much self sufficient here since we made many changes over the years to run our ranch in the most enviromentally efficient way. Solar power, wind power, wood stoves,organic meats and produce, experimenting with bio diesel etc. We could live here completely oblivious to the world around us. Surrounded by nature with not a care in the world.
And then I turned on the news! I cried. A dumptruck full of exposives goes off in a crowded market place in the middle east maiming and killing. Leveling buildings. How many innocents have been killed this time?
Tornados ravage Florida leaving many homeless and searching for loved ones.
Another out break of Avian in turkeys in Great Britan. How are we to contain this viruse should it mutate and spread to the general populace. There has been a concern over this now for years. This pandemic could virtually desimate the worlds population.
Why Oh Why did I watch the news? It brought the world into my bubble and I am not feeling as safe anymore!
5 people like this
33 responses
@fluffleshark (810)
• Ireland
4 Feb 07
I empathise with you! I really, really, REALLY hate the news!!! It totally breaks my heart, day after day, pretty much every time I watch it. I don't know why, but I don't seem to be fully able to separate myself from the people I see on the news, so if I see news of horror after horror, I feel small portions of those horrors. This has become even worse since I became a mother a year ago - now I seem to feel everything even more intensely in terms of what all the suffering mothers out there must be going through. It's nightmarish!!! My husband tells me that I should try and just cut myself off from the people I see on the news, but I've been trying to do that for decades without any success...
I don't watch the news very much anymore. As some previous posters have suggested, I see it mainly purely in print (no pictures) on my computer now. It's a bit better that way.
2 people like this
@golden87 (95)
• United States
4 Feb 07
I NEVER watch the news. It is the scariest TV show out there. When I don't things people always say to me, "Don't you ever watch the news?" and my response is "No, I don't." I figure, why bring myself down if I don't have to. If something does happen in my own world, I can't really do anything about that. But I'll be glad I didn't live in fear and sadness up until that point.
2 people like this
@GnosticGoddess (5626)
• United States
4 Feb 07
I think it's intersting and wonderful that you are living so self sufficeintly. I think it's amazing and sounds like something I could do.
I too hate watching the news. I rarely ever do it. It's depressing.
1 person likes this
@AskAlly (3625)
• Canada
5 Feb 07
I just really love where I live. I worship the ground I walk on, if you understand my meaning. Nature provides us with so much. It has taken time and effort to get to where we are. My third son and his wife are actually building a strawbale house! It's going to be incredible. With bamboo floors, composting toilets! All renewable resources.
This is what should be in the news.
@Riptide (2758)
• United States
4 Feb 07
I find it very commendable that you are so self sufficent. I know the news can be very depressing some times, but sometimes they have good news too.
Just rest assured that you are doing your part to make this world a better and cleaner place to live and you should be very proud of yourself for that.
1 person likes this
@dbeast (1495)
• India
4 Feb 07
well sometimes the news is hard and the truth is always bitter.violence and suffering has been and become the way of the world nowadays.too bad you had to have the truth hit you so hard.and it is true that no one is safe even when they are asleep.the only way to go about is to be happy as long as we can and see to that we keep others around us happy without hurting them.
@cherry_pizza (3)
• Australia
4 Feb 07
Even if you are living in your own self-sufficient Utopia, I think it's important to understand the workings of the world: the conflicts, the concerns, the different attitudes and perspectives. The tragedies you see in other parts of the world can all be traced, in one way or another to a lack of understanding and/or a lack of empathy. At least treat yourself to some understanding to maintain the quality of your little corner of the world.
If, however, you can honestly say you are enlightened enough, informed enough, content enough to continue living in harmony in your community, and can be blissfully ignorant to the goings on outside you, more power to you
1 person likes this
@AskAlly (3625)
• Canada
5 Feb 07
There is really no way to be bissfully ignorant. I agree with you 100%. We do live in our own little utopia, but we are still not standing on the edge looking out. It is so easy to help in our own community. The news that other night was a slap in the face as to how little we can do for those facing the war.
I had the opportunity to raise my children in safety and comfort. What we went through to attain our utopian goal is no struggle compared to a mother not able to provide the basic needs.
@nancygibson (3736)
• France
4 Feb 07
Its always difficult, but at the end of the day even those of us who are trying to live lightly on the land and keep ourselves to ourselves are still part of the world and Ipersonally think its important that we have some understanding of what is happening out there. Otherwise if there was some disaster we would be in complete ignorance and not be in a good position to make informed decisions for our own families and community.
1 person likes this
@kgwat70 (13388)
• United States
4 Feb 07
I hear you on that statement. I try not to watch the news very much anymore because it is mostly sad and tragic news. There is hardly any good news anymore. We can not ignore it completely as people will always talk about the events. The tornadoes were very deadly in Florida. I hate to hear innocent people getting killed, whether at war or a natural disaster or anything else.
1 person likes this
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
4 Feb 07
I am used to watching the news, so hearing about those issues has no effect on me. I have family and schoolmates in the Middle East and in Europe, so I watch the news to see if anything is going in the areas were they are at. I have to know what is going on.
@alchemistrx (2547)
• Philippines
4 Feb 07
Just to inform you. I always watch the news but sometimes I get stressed out of the problems we have to deal with everyday that we are losing our grip to the most high.I just turned it off.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
4 Feb 07
I like to stay informed about what is going on in this big world of ours. I panic when I think of everything that is going on. It is frightening. We have to live our lives. We need to breathe and take each day as it comes. I refuse to hole up and let my life shrivel up around me.
@sweetlady10 (3611)
• United States
4 Feb 07
You are speaking my words Ally! This is so true. We turn on the TV to see news to make us updated with the happening, but rather then gaining knowledge we get scared, we feel insecure. The whole society of the world going through a situation people have never imagined. God knows only what is going to happen in next few years. If you start to think deeply you will be just scared. Don't know what is happening with hte whole world.
1 person likes this
@thammaiah (29)
• India
4 Feb 07
well you are right, being so self sufficient, u need not look at the world at all. But as human beings it is our nature to progress, so we need to be informed of all the happenings in the world. so one need not be upset by wrong things happening in different parts of the world.One should instead look at such incidents/ happennings and react and mould public opinion and influence the decision nmakers and help build a peaceful world where all beings co-exist peacefully, rather than be self-content and loose sight of happenings in other parts of the world.
@Dzbfree (94)
• United States
4 Feb 07
I know how you feel. It can be overwhelming and make you feel that there's little hope. Sometimes I just avoid the news altogether. It made me feel embarrassed that I did that, but then I asked a professor I knew how he managed to keep a positive attitude and he told me that he avoids anything negative in his life. If the news is about something he can do nothing about, he doesn't listen to it or read about it in the papers. Instead, he takes the time he used to do that, and spends it reading something pleasant, listening to music he likes, or something else that he enjoys.
I used to think that it would be like putting your head the sand not to keep up on the news all the time. But now I agree with the professor. Unless I can do something about it, I avoid it. I also avoid violent televison shows and movies. When it comes to the media I stop and ask myself if it will enrich me or just make me feel negative, and use that answer to decide how I spend my time and emotions.
1 person likes this
@dana234 (2114)
• Spain
4 Feb 07
I know how you feel. It happens to me too. I can feel perfectly alright, then turn on the news on TV and my piece of mind is shattered. Images are so powerful. I read the news on the computer or listen to them on the radio.
It´s not so much of an impact. And choose the moment when you want to know what´s going on in the world.
Just a little advice.
@Willowlady (10658)
• United States
4 Feb 07
We are sisters. The kids and I were in our living room beginning our day and the news broke it while the towers where run into by a plane. We too were solar and wind powered and relied on mostly ourselves. Our islands amidst the storms. These things are horrendous and we pray that they never really come to this land. I commend you on your advancement into self sufficiency and applaud your caring what goes on beyond our borders. I think it was good for you to see the news to remind you of your hard work and the loving home you have made in this mad world. I have often asked that from a spot on my property that all I can see please to be the same for as long as I live. We shall see what the future has in store and meanwhile we live our lives in the manner in which we create for our own.
I did note that the mad men had 1 ton of explosives. Why would anyone need 1 ton?
1 person likes this
@AskAlly (3625)
• Canada
4 Feb 07
This hit me so hard today. I can't imagine what mothers just like you and I are going through right now. All any mother wants is to be able to keep her children safe from harm. At least be able to give them the necessities of life and a pillow to lay thier heads on in the comfort of their own home. I feel so helpless. My heart goes out to all mothers everywhere!
@onesiobhan (1327)
• Canada
4 Feb 07
I avoid the news to a large extent.
When I do read or watch about current events they depress me as well. But I try to combat that by thinking of what I can do to help fix things. I don't have any money for charities so mostly what I end up doing is writing letters to politicians. It does help me feel better.
1 person likes this
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
4 Feb 07
This is exactly why I don't like to watch the news, whether local or national. It is just too depressing. And the truth is, there are a lot of positive news stories out there, as well - it's just that the big, disasterous stories are obviously going to get more air time.
Anyway, I think that I'll mostly stick to getting my news online, like the stories that my friends post here on Mylot. And looking up wacky, fun news stories online myself. That, I enjoy. But most news shows I would so much rather stay away from.
@rahuldmhatre (736)
• India
4 Feb 07
so that you can know what is going on in the world...just because u r living in almost isolation dosent mean u can get rid of the society......
@avs189 (1030)
• India
4 Feb 07
One cannot be happy forever...thats law of life....
life is mingled with good days as well as bad days...they are just part and parcel of your life...one should get exposed to these realities and harshness of life....they relly help in making a person strong individually from the
physical as well as mentally ....its really good that one should be able to have access of both facets of life...
1 person likes this
