I'm Baaack

Jeff—Saturday

It’s been three weeks since my rotator cuff shoulder surgery, and I’ve decided to take a shot at typing with more than the index finger of my left hand.  I feel I must take that risk—painful as it may prove to be—in an effort at breaking a horrid addiction contracted in the course of my recovery. 

No, it’s not to the dreaded oxycodone pain medication. I was well aware of the risks of that, and avoided it except on the few occasions when, on a scale of 1 to 10, pain hit 12.

No, I fell victim to an insidious hallucinogen that preys upon the innocent in their most vulnerable of moments, such as when one tires of balancing a book or e-reader on one’s belly with one hand. 

I’m talking about our singular national narcotic, competitively produced and distributed nationwide to generate profit and power via the exploitation of our disparate tribal urges.

Yes, dear reader, my name is Jeffrey and I’m addicted to Cable TV News.

It started off simply enough, with the teaser of a “breaking news” headline, followed by commentary from folks with distinct agendas.  Whether or not I agreed with what they said did not matter, for the game was to hook me into the personalities, and bristle or cheer while they added partisan spin to seemingly objective facts.  Soon I was jumping from channel to channel to catch how networks with polar opposite political views were handling the same state of facts…or ignoring them.

You find yourself in swoon, one that has you turning on the news when you rise in the morning, and falling asleep to it at night.  Then comes delusion, for you think you’re well-informed, on top of things.  But you’re not. You may know a lot about a half-dozen titillating tales, but you’re woefully out of touch with the world, for those news networks universally neglect almost all but headlines.

You’ve become myopic, endorphin-driven, and out of touch with the real world. You’re dulled by the stories, think that what’s debated is actually being resolved by the process, and, thus, do nothing but impatiently wait for the next big headline to break across the screen.

Congratulations, you’re now addicted to the reality TV world of Cable TV News.

Thankfully, not all have fallen victim to the scourge.  There are those who realize that if you wish to change the real world, you must participate in it, and bust your hump at making things happen.

Like, for example, the students and families of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Florida, and the hundreds of thousands supporting them, in their efforts at spearheading the “March For Our Lives” on March 24 in Washington, DC.

Yes, I watched that horrible tragedy unfold on TV.  I watched the analysts, watched the looping videos, and watched the partisan interests roll out their spin.

Then I listened to classmates and families of the victims speak from their hearts with poise, intensity, and truth.  Their words have inspired a movement, if not a generation. They give me hope for our future, and reason to end my voyeuristic addiction and return to the parapets…

Right after I catch the latest update on the Stormy Daniels affair.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

—Jeff