One of the goals I have for this year is to watch less News, unless it's the NPR, international type of news. I'm finding it's a hard addiction to break, I think "oh, I'll just put it on so I can hear the weather" and end up getting sucked in. I really don't need to hear about the latest local fires, accidents and arrests for possession of child pornography. Aren't there more important things going on?
When the time comes to discuss the business section I've noticed that the newscasters have started listing the companies who are laying off employees and how many, both locally and nationally. This has been going on for some time, but it sort of struck me this morning. It certainly is depressing and scary to hear the numbers. I worry for my friends and their husbands who are out of work or are worried about their jobs and it makes me even more thankful that Joe has found something during these difficult times.
I wonder what it will be like in 5 or maybe 10 years. Will we look back on this time and remember when all the news of the economy was dire and more specifically that we would hear the layoffs on the news, listed in the thousands?
I truly hope this will be a catalyst for change. As I drove to Ayer on Tuesday I had a couple hours in the car and after giving up on the morning radio dj blather, I switched over to NPR. Robert Reich was on and talking about how we need not only to jump start the economy, but to do it in a manner that will allow for long term growth. We need to invest in our badly broken health care system, our educational system and decrease our dependence on fossil fuels. If we have to get through these tough times, why not make changes now, when we have the opportunity, to make things better? If we're going to fix things, why not fix them right the first time? I'm afraid if we don't we'll be facing this same exact set of problems in the not too distant future.
It puts things into perspective for me when I can think about the future: 10 years down the road we hopefully will look back on this time, remember when we watched the news and heard about all the layoffs, worried for our friends and family, but we made it through. And hopefully we'll be more appreciative of the good times after having learned what it's like to cut back.
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2 comments:
I rarely watch the news anymore, shrinks orders. It's just so full of negativity. I imagine the "Dementors" or whatever those scary bastards are in Harry Potter just sucking the joy right out of me.
I'm happy your home and glad you are feeling better!
I have never watched much local news. However, I am an NPR addict. If I tried to give that up I would be in big trouble!!
Glad you had a nice trip and made it home safely...and that the kitties remembered you. (Btw, Millie has been a little lax on keeping up with her FB.) :)
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