Resolutions
Nothing like a nightmare about Trump pushing The Button to kick off the New Year.
I've had a marvelous holiday season too, starting before Christmas when I took Emma and her mom out to Vasquez Rocks, through a great Christmas Eve and into my adventures of this past weekend. And I've got to say, one thing that's made this week-and-a-half so nice is that I had so much less exposure to all things political. There's a lesson to be learned in that.
(Both of those photos from Emma's mom, Angelique.)
It seems pretty clear to me that for 2018, I should resolve to keep blocking out all things about what Trump is tweeting, whether the Russia probe is going to be shut down, who's going to control Congress, what abominable laws are trying to be passed, and so on. But that's not easy to do, and it won't get any easier with the midterm elections approaching. Nor is it something I necessarily should do. I can't live in a bubble, oblivious to what's going on around me. So what's the answer? Where's the balancing point?
Here are a couple of thoughts. I can call them my New Year's Resolutions:
1. Saving what we love instead of fighting what we hate - I haven't seen the new Star Wars movie yet, but I've read that this is one of its themes. Others have advised it too, and I really like it. We're stronger when we say what we're for. If all we do is fight, we're giving up our home field advantage, playing into the other side's hands. It's not enough just to oppose the Trumpocalypse world. We have to offer better alternatives.
2. Avoiding controversy for controversy's sake - Propaganda outlets like FOX News are the extreme case, but the truth is that all news outlets have a financial stake in keeping your attention, and they present their content in a way that sucks you in. Anderson Cooper (who also showed up in my nightmare last night) wants his panelists yelling and throwing outrageous claims at each other. Rachel Maddow wants you to think her latest exclusive scoop will be the thing that finally nails the Administration. It's part of the business model. And the same is true on the internet, where trolls are the extreme case but even everyday bloggers - including me - want you to keep reading them. It's important to keep that in mind, and to walk away when it looks like people are arguing just for the sake of arguing.
3. Avoiding posts that are just to make myself look good - I'll admit it. I like seeing how many Likes I get for a Facebook post or how many views these blog entries get. It's perfectly natural. And if I'm saying something I care about, something I think is important, there's nothing wrong with that. But if I'm saying something just because I want people to tell me how clever I am, then I've got better things to do. And so does everyone else.
Looking at those three, it occurs to me that the second and third are just applications of the first. If I'm focused on what I love, then I'll pay attention to the issues I care about, not just whatever controversy is trending. If I'm focused on what I love, then I'll write about the things I care about, not about what makes me look good. It all ties together.
So that's my plan for 2018. Better than the standard resolution to lose weight or something (although I do need to do a little bit of that, too). We'll see how long I can keep it.
I've had a marvelous holiday season too, starting before Christmas when I took Emma and her mom out to Vasquez Rocks, through a great Christmas Eve and into my adventures of this past weekend. And I've got to say, one thing that's made this week-and-a-half so nice is that I had so much less exposure to all things political. There's a lesson to be learned in that.
(Both of those photos from Emma's mom, Angelique.)
It seems pretty clear to me that for 2018, I should resolve to keep blocking out all things about what Trump is tweeting, whether the Russia probe is going to be shut down, who's going to control Congress, what abominable laws are trying to be passed, and so on. But that's not easy to do, and it won't get any easier with the midterm elections approaching. Nor is it something I necessarily should do. I can't live in a bubble, oblivious to what's going on around me. So what's the answer? Where's the balancing point?
Here are a couple of thoughts. I can call them my New Year's Resolutions:
1. Saving what we love instead of fighting what we hate - I haven't seen the new Star Wars movie yet, but I've read that this is one of its themes. Others have advised it too, and I really like it. We're stronger when we say what we're for. If all we do is fight, we're giving up our home field advantage, playing into the other side's hands. It's not enough just to oppose the Trumpocalypse world. We have to offer better alternatives.
2. Avoiding controversy for controversy's sake - Propaganda outlets like FOX News are the extreme case, but the truth is that all news outlets have a financial stake in keeping your attention, and they present their content in a way that sucks you in. Anderson Cooper (who also showed up in my nightmare last night) wants his panelists yelling and throwing outrageous claims at each other. Rachel Maddow wants you to think her latest exclusive scoop will be the thing that finally nails the Administration. It's part of the business model. And the same is true on the internet, where trolls are the extreme case but even everyday bloggers - including me - want you to keep reading them. It's important to keep that in mind, and to walk away when it looks like people are arguing just for the sake of arguing.
3. Avoiding posts that are just to make myself look good - I'll admit it. I like seeing how many Likes I get for a Facebook post or how many views these blog entries get. It's perfectly natural. And if I'm saying something I care about, something I think is important, there's nothing wrong with that. But if I'm saying something just because I want people to tell me how clever I am, then I've got better things to do. And so does everyone else.
Looking at those three, it occurs to me that the second and third are just applications of the first. If I'm focused on what I love, then I'll pay attention to the issues I care about, not just whatever controversy is trending. If I'm focused on what I love, then I'll write about the things I care about, not about what makes me look good. It all ties together.
So that's my plan for 2018. Better than the standard resolution to lose weight or something (although I do need to do a little bit of that, too). We'll see how long I can keep it.
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