While She Warms Up, I'm Going to Sew
So, the Pennsylvania Primary is over and with it must be what had turned into an obsession for me. Today I read the spinners and the pundits and came away very confused. Came close to the conclusion that, really, no one knows how this thing is going to shake down.Meanwhile, a very wise soul provided some much-needed advice. He reminded me of what happened several years back.
In the months following 9/11 (the day that I had one son living in New York City and the other working on Capitol Hill), I became obsessed with the news. Somehow I was afraid that something was going to happen and I wouldn't know about it. As if my knowing about it would enable me to do anything about it. It turned into an unhealthy situation for me, and finally I had to leave CNN, the newspaper, the evening news, all of these, cold turkey. After a month away from all of it, I was able to resume rationality.
Today, when I asked Andrew for the umpteenth time what he thought was going to happen, with amazing insight and even more amazing tact, he wrote, in part:
. . . . I think the intense competition of the media self-perpetuates them talking to each other about this race. There are far too many journalists on the air and they have to keep themselves employed.
I know this is important to you, and that’s because this is a vitally important issue. But maybe it is time to consider detox. Remember when you stopped watching CNN? Keep this in mind – you are currently following this race much more closely than I am, and I do this shit for a living. That’s just not healthy. . . . .
This mama raised a wise son.
Someone else reminded me that you-know-who hasn't uttered a single note yet, much less an aria. So while she warms up -- which could take several weeks, if I'm not mistaken -- I'm going to turn off the news and sew.
Comments
Your son is right - whatever is going to happen, will happen - whether or not you and I have our eyeballs glued to the TV or not. I would also agree that this particular singing lady has been warming up for much longer than necessary. Maybe she'll have lost her voice by time it actually counts.
I can't say that I'd be too displeased myself if Gore were chosen as our "compromise candidate". He packs a lot of moral authority, frankly, and could probably handily unite the party under its banner enough to beat McCain and keep the Reagan Democrats from straying to the Republican banner.
My son was also living in Brooklyn and going to school in NYC during 9/11. He still won't talk about it, other than to share his absolute hatred for GWB for encouraging New Yorkers to "live their lives" as normal. Only those who survived those days truly know the horror.