Maneuvering Through a Difficult World

I've been avoiding the blog for one reason only: to avoid my Huffington Post (HP) addiction! Ai, Yai, Yai! It's terrible out there. Everyday, I open up my laptop, and after feeding the Facebook addiction, I go over to HP and see that there are so many bad things happening in the world. After swearing off news for a few years, I decided to get back in the loop. O-M-G.

Do any of you do this? I have heard people call themselves "news junkies," usually with a hint of pride in their voices, but to me, I do not like this addiction at all. Even as I type this, I am wondering what kind of crazy headline is posted on HP. Could there be another war in our midst? Is another innocent teenager the victim of bullying? How about an Eathquake? A Hurricane? What crazy-hateful thing has Glenn Beck said today? How about a politician who lied? Where is the balance between being informed and volunteering for depression?

It's 8:43 am, and I have been avoiding HP since I woke up. People talk about drug addiction and alcoholism and gambling addiction.... Can there be a bad news addiction?

Now is the time for intense music practice. Or yoga. Or meditation. Or jogging. More education. Anything to exercise our minds and our bodies. Now is when listening to Peace Music is more important than ever. I promise I am trying to think of a way to make this more accessible. Right now I am getting by with Pandora radio set to the following stations: John Lennon, Redemption Song; with running, and lots and lots of guitar, piano, and singing practice.

In my stressful college years, each day I would study for 45 mins and practice piano for 15 and then start the cycle over again. What I noticed was that the music break was more refreshing to my mind than a cup of coffee. Music just makes everything easier to deal with. Music, Art, Literature, Friends, Family. These are the things that ultimately matter and keep us together.

Time to feed the monster and then go for a run to help clear out whatever bad news awaits.