The sharply dressed news anchors will spin and build up an event to make it seem that this day, today, has had events unfolding like no other. While in my little corner of the World, Life is the same today as it was yesterday, it just has a new number.
I will watch the world according to Brian, Connie and O'Reiley and wonder just what the Hell is going on out there. They paint a picture of another planet when compared to mine. I don't live anywhere near bombings, floods, and fires caused by drought. Yet, it seems these places are just around the corner from me. A picture unfolds of a World full of hate and discontent, neverending catastophes, and constant international intrique. Like the only place that seems safe and dull day in and day out is the small chunk I exist in on a daily basis. Almost as if "The World" was an alternative universe that is overrun by madness.
Of course I know this is not true. I do live in the same world that seems so out of control outside southern Maine. Of late though, it seems less real than it ever did before. There seems to be more insanity now than when I was younger. Maybe it only seems that way because I am paying more attention. And maybe it seems that way because it is more insane now than ever before.
Take the war in Iraq. 3 years ago this day, we invaded. Not long after that, Bush declared, "Mission Accomplished". And now 3 years later, the Iraqis have extended their violence to include a turf war that seems determined to become a full blown civil war. The ability to reason with clear heads has been lost to our civilization. We have entered a period of mass stupidity. As Buffalo Springfield sang in one of their songs, "Nobody's right if everyone is wrong". Or something to that effect.
We just finished the worst hurricane season in my memory. Jeez, they ran out of regular letters to name them and had to start borrowing from the ancient Greeks letters from their alpahbet. One of America's special cities was wiped off the planet. And now Australia has just experienced the worst cyclone in 30 years. Cyclone Larry tore up the north coast in a cat 5 tantrum. A recent tsunami wiped out untold numbers of people and wild fires are burning up millions of acres of our Midwest. The Ice Caps are shrinking. Mother Nature seems to have caught some of our manic ways.
And I sit here in Acton, Maine and gaze out at all this and I wonder. Can all this foolishness be real? I am sure one morning I will wake up and one of my favorite early morning news folks will tell me, "Hey, we were just joking".
