When I am seeking a distraction, I’ll scan the news headlines. My news feeds push 3 types of stories: International News, National News and Local News.
99% of it doesn’t matter to me at all.
I’m not saying the articles don’t evoke empathy, disgust, anger or fear in me. Some do. Some don’t. But what is more significant is that I can do absolutely nothing to fix any of the problems highlighted in the news (and it is always problems that are presented). Here are some of the latest stories:
- Russia and China may be teaming up vs. the US/Europe
- Climate change is already irreversibly damaging & guaranteed to worsen
- Trump is running for president again on a platform of divisiveness, bluster and lies
- Elon Musk and Twitter valuation
- 3 Big banks have collapsed and inflation is high in the US
- Stories about the pandering and posturing of the Senate and House
- Anything about Joe Biden
- Droughts, Floods and Wildfires in California
- Tax Breaks and Carve Outs for Corporations and Wealthy Individuals
Yawn.
Local news stories in Raleigh are better. They cover local sports (yawn), local weather (I follow closely) and events and stories that are happening within 50 miles of my home.
Even then, I don’t bother reading most local news either. If someone I do not know is shot, killed in a car crash, fired from their job or arrested, why do I need to know about it?
So I narrow my focus to < 10 miles of my home. It’s helpful to know if a road will be closed, the weather and if there are any major events that my disrupt my daily routine like a power outage or a parade.
I have chosen to live my life within a very small radius of my home. In the 4 years I’ve been here, I’ve rarely traveled more than 8 miles to get to the pool. I may never get on a plane again. I have no desire to travel.
I thought after ending my road trip in 2019, that I’d eventually go on the road again. I figured after racking up 10,000 miles and spending 2 months off-grid, my appetite for travel had changed. I wouldn’t’t live onto road again, but I’d be much more open to hopping in my car and traveling to see friends, national parks, and cities.
Nope.
I have zero interest. Pretty much like I did before my road trip.
If anything, I have less interest because I have a much clearer picture of what is important to me and what is not.
So back to the news. Today, I realized I can stop checking it altogether. None of it interests me. None of it involves me. None of it is problems I can solve.