Writings: Time for a tv timeout

Over the past month or so, one of the stories that keeps playing in my head is this:

The “news” keeps us from knowing what’s going on.

You know it’s true: We have friends to feed in parts of the world, and in parts of the towns we live in (wherever we live!) who need to eat & don’t have enough, but we’ll do that after the Olympics is over. Maybe.

We have people around us who need a hug. Who need a raincoat. Who need counseling to sort out those angry flashes in their head.

People who need a voice.

When you look them in the eye, you know it’s time to share. You can feel it. When you look at the television, you can feel that, too, but its job is to quiet  your anger & shift where you focus, away.

In hockey games & in American football, there is a planned timeout halfway through the period that is simply a tv timeout, so they can run ads. Nobody’s tired & the coaches don’t NEED the timeout, and sometimes it even messes up your team’s momentum.

Maybe we can reverse that. Take a timeout from the television & its pretend news, and take a look around at the real news. With people we can actually touch & feel & hear & see, in living colour.

Way cooler.

Love you –
Brother Ian