I Don't Know What to Write Here Because Headlines Don't Matter

Over the past few months I've been noticing a kind of burn out that has nothing to do with punching time cards and long commutes to the office. In fact, the current pandemic circumstances continue to prevent people from returning to their normal "nine to fives." Rather, the burnout I've been seeing has been of an emotional nature, usually triggered by what's being thrown in our faces by the media, politicians, celebrities, and sometimes even our own family and friends.

I've encountered so many people who are just bracing themselves, waiting to hit rock bottom so they can finally start to claw their way back to the top of the pit where they can see some kind of light. Far from being a doom and gloom post, I wanted to offer some thoughts about what we allow into our minds and by extension, our hearts...and perhaps more importantly, what we let out of our mouths and hearts. I wish I could say that the solution is to turn off our TVs and throw away our cell phones, but I wonder if that would that do any good. I wish I could say we should hold our tongues when we are confronting controversial topics...but how does that show authenticity? While disconnecting and biting our tongues can be a temporary fix, I don't think it's very realistic in our culture. We want to make informed choices based on what's going on with the world around us, and we want to be able to speak our minds with prudence - and doing these things can help us and those around us become better people. Trust me, there have definitely been times when I've felt like it would be better to escape the world and live like a hermit, but would it do any good when we're made for community and there's such a need to bring consolation into a world that seems to be hurting so much?

Here, a few observations I've made:

1. Who can we even trust these days? I recently asked on an Instagram poll if people feel like they can trust politicians, the media and their neighbors. Granted, the sample was pretty small, but for the most part people didn't indicate very much trust in politicians or the media. The results were a little bit higher for neighbors, but most people also indicated that their trust levels have significantly changed over the past several months. I wish there were a way to fix it because what good are relationships if we can't trust one another? I don't blame people for distancing themselves from people who they don't trust. But does isolation at all costs help anyone? It probably harms and causes division more than helps and heals.

2. Have we ever in history been told "the whole story"? When you only get part of the story, who can fault you for making uninformed conclusions? I recently saw the same story reported on by 8 different major media sources, and they had 8 different headlines with 8 different spins. When that's what we're being fed, how are we supposed to form our own opinions? I think about the way we're taught as well. I recently had a conversation with a woman who had visited a World War II museum. She spouted facts about the fighting in the Pacific that I had never really learned much about. There's so much focus on the European front, and rightfully so given the atrocities that happened there - but I never considered that it was the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese that pushed the United States into the War, not the fighting in Europe. I had also never known that it was China not Germany or France or Russia that had the most civilian casualties. It's a little bit embarrassing to admit this now because I was taught a certain way when I was a kid. But now as an adult it's nobody's responsibility but my own to pursue the truth and the whole story instead of just following the limited narratives that have been "fed" to me all my life. .

3. Do we consider the human being on the receiving end of our words? I've also heard so much of the blame game lately, so much so that if I knew nothing about the world and was just dropped into the universe, I would think that everyone is to blame. Accusations fly across the aisle in Congress, down the halls of medical institutions, from one place of worship to another, and from room to room in so many of our homes. This is what makes my heart ache the most, and it honestly makes me wonder, "Why do people hate each other so much?" Hate is such a strong word, but unfortunately, I struggle to find one that fits more accurately. I once heard that "hate is just fear gone ugly," and no one wants to live in perpetual fear. The things is that people typically only fear what they don't know. I know it takes a lot more effort, but I have uncovered the constant truth that getting to know people is so much better than ignoring, accusing, or excluding, them.

I feel like I've seen so many good people lose their minds of the past few months, and it hurts to see it. And I wonder what I can possibly do, and I come to this conclusion: Be someone who can be trusted. Tell the whole story. Consider the individual human beings. In short, be good news in someone's day.

As a bonus, here's a cartoon that makes me smile and a few place on the web that I like to go to for "the whole story" or just for smiles:

SmartHerNews - For the most accurate, unbiased, up to date headlines on anything and everything...She also provides little history lessons on what why things are the way they are. Really solid stuff

Sharon Says So - Another great unbiased media source that's been dubbed as "America's Government Teacher," and seeing what I see people say...we need a government teacher.

The Chosen - If you're going to binge a show, binge a show about Jesus! Far from being a cheesy Christian series, The Chosen is by far the best show about the life of Christ that I've ever seen! SO GOOD and also crowdfunded so they don't have to bow down to the Hollywood agenda!

Blessed Is She - If you're a Catholic woman looking for community and beautiful resources, this is your place. I begin my day with some of the devotionals and reflections and know that I can come here to find resources on living Catholic life every day.

Marlas Cookie Co and Crumbl on Instagram - Call me crazy, but I just really love seeing cookies on the interwebs. There's something very satisfying about watching Marla decorate cookies in her stories (also super fun to attend one of her classes in person!), and I love seeing what flavors of cookies I can get that are the size of my face on Crumbl!

I hope that these spots can also bring you a smile or two as you're cruising and clicking through the world wide web. If you make it to the end of this post, please leave me a comment with a favorite website or social media account.