When Matt came into work this morning he asked me if I had heard about the possible terrorist attacks that had been thwarted in Britain. I said no. He couldn’t believe it since it had been all over the news this morning, but then he remembered who it was he was talking to.
I do not read the newspaper. The only “newspaper-like” things that I read are The National Catholic Register (a weekly paper) and the Monitor (the weekly newspaper for the Diocese of Trenton). I do not watch the news with any regularity. The only time I’ll watch the news at all is if I am flipping through channels and something catches my eye. I do not even turn on my TV in the morning since I have no TV in my bedroom (something that apparently only Oprah Winfrey and I feel strongly about) and all of my morning activities are on the second floor of my condo.
My dad thinks I am crazy for not reading the newspaper. He thinks it’s important to stay on top of what’s going on in the world (being well-informed is something he sees as our obligation). Matt reads a newspaper cover to cover every day, so he too can barely believe that I don’t even pick one up.
Now my defense: Do any of you who know me see me as uninformed or poorly read? I know the answer to that is no. So am I poorly off for not reading a newspaper or watching the news and filling my head with sadness and bad news and crime and terror and war? As a result of my way of living I know a lot about some things and I know very little about some things. For example, I know next to nothing about politics. To date, my life has in no way been adversely affected by that, but that might be a negative for me at some point, who knows?
I understand my dad’s argument that I should be well-informed, but I guess I feel like I am getting the information I need and I don’t want to have to worry about the rest. There are enough other things that I do and know and see that keep me from being able to get as close to the Lord as I would like to every day, so I guess I just don’t want to add anything else to the mix. My natural inclination is to ponder and worry more than the average person, so I really have to limit what enters my head. When I’m thinking about a million other things I am not listening to my Lord, I am not following His promptings; I am not able to concentrate when reading His Word.
Do I need to change? I don’t have an answer really, as you can tell from my rambling and uncanny ability to defend both sides of any argument (something Mike D. just loves about me, NOT!).
Today we need to pray for our safety and the safety of all of those traveling by air—especially Matt’s parents. Also, please keep Mike D. in prayer. He has an interview at (my favorite place in the world!) QVC on Monday. When he called to tell me about the interview he said, “At least I know one person who will be really excited about the idea of me working at QVC!” Amen to that!
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5 comments:
You know, I have very similar feelings about the newspaper. Two years ago, when I started taking the train to and from work in Philly, I would pick up a copy of the Metro - a free daily newspaper that was always available at my station in the morning. I did this because I thought I should be aware of current events, etc, and like Lori, I do not really watch the news on TV (or have a TV in my bedroom!). What I found, however, was that on most days I could not even bear to read the front page, so I would start in the middle at the Entertainment section and work my way backwards. I read what the celebs were up to and what colors would be in next season; then I read people's very cynical views about other people and the world; and if my train was running late I would make it all the way back to those front-page stories about the newest ways people have discovered to spread evil. The result was that I would make it to work informed, yes - but completely depressed, not to mention unprepared to deal with the stresses of the work day.
You'd think I would have kicked the Metro aside after a week, but it took much longer. There was something appealing and alluring about all the garbage I was reading, and I didn't realize right away the negative impact it had on me. It's easy to think things like that are harmless enough, but I can now see it was harmful indeed. When finally I began doing other things on the train such as reading a book or praying, I arrived at work refreshed and clear-minded. My conclusion is that NOT reading the newspaper has thus far proven more emotionally and spiritually healthy for me! I'd be interested to hear some other opinions.
I'd be interested to hear other opinions too, but everyone is still a little shy, I think. They'll come around!
I'm totally behind everything you said and especially happy to hear that you have no TV in the bedroom! :)
I returned from the UK last night, or I should say, very early this morning after hours of delays. For an update, sans a newspaper, I can tell you the airport is filled with additional precautionary security. It is a bit depressing actually. Police with machine guns, sniffing security dogs and pat downs. It is securing our travel, but it is a slap in the face of reality. It is a wake up call of the evil that is running a muck.
That's a great point that you bring up in your assessment Steph--there's that line that a lot people can't keep straight in their minds, it seems. The huge amount of extra security is definitely for our best interest and keeping us safe. Buy have you ever noticed how angry everyone gets when there is extra security? As if it's nothing but a bother?
...to say the least!
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