Ignorance Truly Is Bliss

2016 Memorial Day weekend I took a little vacation West River. During this little five-day hiatus I didn't watch any news programs or SportsCenter. It wasn't anything I planned on doing it just happened. I haven't watched any local or national news since. I also haven't watched any sports programs besides games. A year has gone by and I do not miss it at all. I am glad I am ignorant on the current events.

Before this last year I would watch local news at least twice a day if not three times a day. I would also watch national news at least once a day. Along with getting information from TV, I read at least two or three newspapers a day. If I would miss one day of newsgathering I would feel lost. I felt like I was not doing my part in keeping up with the day’s events. I have come to realize that knowing all this useless information did not benefit me at all. I have learned over this last year that events that happen elsewhere in the country and world that do not affect me don't bother me. That might seem a little selfish but my life is truly more enjoyable.

I have learned that if something doesn't affect my friends, my family or myself it doesn't matter if I know about it or not. I used to follow local and national politics quite closely. I have come to realize that politicians are going to do what they want no matter what I think. I still contact state representatives on issues that affect local policies. In fact I just got a letter back today from one of our Senators. But of course the letter was the regular response in a template format.

I still read the headlines in two or three local newspapers a day. But I rarely read an article unless it truly has some effect on people I know. I never read political articles anymore. I pretty much just read feature stories on individuals who are making a difference. Politics have gotten way too polarizing and way to he said she said. To me it is all a bunch crap. If you can't stand for the greater good, you have no reason being in politics.

I also used to watch SportsCenter at least two times a day. For some reason that Memorial Day weekend I chose not to follow any sports stories. I still kept up with who won and lost but that is it. The stories that come out of SportsCenter and the like are pretty much pointless. Most of the stories are about contract negotiations between billionaires and millionaires. I just got sick of athletes complaining about how they can't feed their families on $20 million a year. Good grief.

Now all of this not caring doesn't mean that I'm not going to vote like some pixie fairy. Not voting is never acceptable. So when November comes around I will have to do a little research on the issues and candidates but just enough to get the gist. And I am for sure not going to get my information from corporate media. I will do my own investigating from multiple sources on each side of the issue and each side of the aisle.

I hope all of this talk doesn't make me sound like some antigovernment tofu eating hippie.

So what I've learned over the last year is that life is too short to worry about crap that you cannot help with more control. I'll also learned that I really don't care if Latrell Sprewell can feed his family on his multimillionaire salary. I have also learned that it doesn't bother me that I don't know what our president is doing. Because he is going to do it no matter what I think anyway. As long as he doesn't take my bow tag away, I really don't care.

Only 93 days until bow opener… Giggity!

Thanks for reading, Clint