An avid reader and someone who tries to stay abreast of current events, I have concluded, “enough is enough.”  I have decided who I will vote for in the upcoming election, and continual news saturation will not change my mind.  Another one of the reasons I reached this decision came as I watched a young man of privilege who, by any standards, has all of the opportunities afforded anyone, refuse to stand for the National Anthem of the country that provided these opportunities.  Equally concerning was that a large segment of the media supported him in his decision. If that wasn’t enough, the National Football League decided honoring the country by standing wasn’t required.  The final aspect of this decision came as I exited Publix grocery store and staring at me from the National Enquirer was the headline, “GIRL 11, GIVES BIRTH TO A CALF.”

For the past four days I have not read a newspaper (usually a daily routine).  I have avoided evening news broadcasts on television.  The awkwardness of this lifestyle comes to me when someone walks up and says, “Hey, did you read in the paper……………………” I have no idea what is going on in Iran or the latest analysis of how much longer we will live before dying of global warming or AIDS.  I am convinced it is the news that makes most of us worry and get ulcers and do stupid things like the guy I observed running five miles in 90 degree weather.   If you don’t have the news to disturb and concern you, your outlook on life, I discovered, improves dramatically.

Today I stood and watched the morning sunrise as it came above the tall Georgia pines and thought to myself, “Nobody is stupid enough to blow all this up with a bomb.”  If that wasn’t enough I ate a fresh tomato sandwich and had sliced cucumbers in my iced tea.  Tomorrow I am going to pretend fast food doesn’t exist and eating too much bacon does not cause cancer.

The height of this personal transformation is taking a nap in the middle of the day and really not caring what latest craziness has been attributed to Donald Trump.

Just a short time ago I visited a monastery and wrapped myself in the quiet sacredness of the place, and never once wondered how many people died that day in some mentally deranged holy war.

I have become quite relaxed as a result of all of this.  My food tastes and digests better, and I can do things like going on a moonlight cruise on lake Oconee without “getting up tight.”   Obviously this lifestyle prepared me for the latest question from granddaughter, Adie.  “Granddaddy, what do you do when you grow old.”  “Well Adie you learn to watch birds.”

P.S. HEADLINE:  WWII PLANE FOUND ON MOON!”

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