On Occasionally taking a longer look

Posted

We do get quite caught up in the news of the day. In fact, not getting enough news from the stuff that shows up when I log out of Hotmail, I actually did a search for "Breaking News." I didn't click on Fox OR CNN but I did read the little blurb.

Nothing about Trump resigning; a few smoking guns ("Hey, it's our right. Right?" Yeah, and not even that far right. Right?); a growing list of powerful men getting called out (the supposedly-humorous side character of the old guy chasing women around isn't new; but it is kind of humorous that it's now not some obviously-wacky individual, but some powerful and... okay, still wacky); doomsday clock resets; Korea; and a whole list of wars and refugees and wrongs and rights violated we can't even get to because, unless you check out the BBC, our corporate news suppliers don't cover all that much.  Their (and our) focus is on ______ _____.

Yeah, you filled in the blank. If his main goal in life is to be the center of attention. Great. Success. We're all paying attention. Some folks are thrilled. Ask one why, then stand back. Maybe a bit farther.

SO, here's something: It's about an hour and a half drive for me to go to my favorite surfing spot. The radio doesn't work in my surf rig. I'm not supposed to talk on the phone. I'm missing out on the updates. Occasionally, what I do between playing harmonica (Wait. What? Distracted driving? What about eating cheese and crackers? Oh) is look out the window at the scenery.

We're lucky to live in a place of amazing beauty, always changing. Sometimes we forget.

If I listen to news from Seattle, freeway backups and the latest hit-and-run, I'm happy I'm not there. If I am there, headed home, the view of the Olympics from the hill above Silverdale, the view of Mount Walker from the Hood Canal Bridge. Great.  Beautiful. The way the clouds hang between the ridges, the reflections... Not that I'm distracted.

WAIT, I forgot to add that, after surfing and driving and doing some shopping all day, when I get home; it's pretty much the same news. So distracting.