As The World Burns, Idaho, Washington, and Utah Need a Day Off

A Desire for Calm Unites Us

We belong to different political parties.  We go to various churches, or not at all.  We have jobs as varied as milking cows, patrolling roads, to repairing Internet issues.  I think what unites us is that we all need a few minutes to regroup.

I want to take a few days off.  This morning, I got out of bed and had a message from a friend.  He asked if I was watching the news.  When I went to bed, the big stories were about Los Angeles, a parade and response, and a Senator being kicked out of a news conference.   All of that was exhausting enough.

I checked my phone for breaking news, and sure enough, there was a mostly peaceful bombing campaign in Iran.

The World is a Stressful Place

Some of us earn a living by talking about events, and mostly I enjoy the work.  But as I write this, I can tell you straight away that I wouldn’t mind a few days in the mountains.  Maybe a trip to Crater Lake, and a few days absorbing some nearby small town life.  Where can I find a local restaurant that serves good comfort food?  I rarely eat cheeseburgers and fries anymore, but chewing slowly on lunch and drinking a cold Dr Pepper, that would be a welcome escape.

There’s an old line about ignorance being bliss.  I’m not sure ignorance should be a constant condition, but let me tell you something.  A few days away, maybe floating on a mountain lake, or looking down on a green valley below, I could appreciate a break.

I’ve read that people who tune out of TV and the Internet for a month have a new appreciation for life, and like their neighbors better.  Even the neighbors who fly resistance flags.  We just think they’re dumber than boxes of rocks.

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