I used to listen to the news on the radio.
I’ve stopped.
The stories on the news are boring. They’re repetitive.They’re polarized into black and white, with no interesting grays.
The stories on the news have poor character development. People seem simple, reduced to quick definitions. Any shadings seem suspect and facile, provided by others with agendas.
The stories on the news focus on catastrophes. They predict the future and speculate what others are thinking. I hear blaming, all the time. And comparisons. Labeling. Shoulds. Negative filtering. (The News: a festival of cognitive distortions.)
I can’t listen to news stories any more. I can’t bear the emptiness I find there.
The stories on the news seem arid and soulless, especially compared to the stories I am hearing people tell these days. I get to hear stories that are full-bodied, nuanced, and complex. I am riveted. I believe these stories. I care how they turn out.
The stories I’m choosing to witness these days speak to me of hope, not dread or emptiness. Whether I encounter them in person or on the blogosphere, these stories are about expansion, not restriction.
I wonder if I’ll ever listen to the news again?
Thanks for reading this story, today.