A NUMB THREAD

 Are we becoming numb?


Why am I asking? You ask.


Typically, when I wake up in the A.M. I spend a few minutes looking to see if there are any interesting stories to post on my forum. If nothing catches my eye, I put it off till later in the day and try to think of a theme for a thread.


This morning: I started to scan the news headlines, and to be perfectly honest, I got numb.


Covid cases and deaths on the rise AGAIN. The fear of what will happen when the Republicans retake the House. Will they attempt to impeach Joe Biden? Jan. 6 commission. Possible, or probable, war in Ukraine. More and more environment disasters. 


Worse, what seems to me at least, more and more division. Anger at anti-vaxxers who are angry about vaccine mandates. Teachers angry about school openings and parents angry about school closings. Growing global threats from Russia, China, North Korea, Iran.


Indifference towards real action on climate. More and more people simply fed up, quitting their jobs, protesting anything and everything, cancel culture, what is being taught in schools, leaving the church in droves, family disputes over politics.


Worse, nothing but negativity in the news. CNN feeding the fear of election integrity. Fox feeding the fear of voter fraud. Every outlet prophesizing what will happen if war breaks out over Ukraine. 


Now for the worst part: even in my quaint home town, when I go out and about, I see drawn faces, bent heads, fed up looks. The days of cheerfulness seem to have gone. School where I live is in session. The cheerful laughter I used to hear from kids going to and fro has disappeared. They are strangely silent. I am NOT making this up. One notices this kind of thing. 


Because I am fully vaccinated, and my friends are, we have our weekly weekend coffee get together at a coffee shop that observes limited seating, and we do not sit shoulder to shoulder. Topics of discussion between us that used to be lively, and when it came to politics, spirited - are now mundane, we keep jumping from one topic to another because we have gotten bored with talking politics, Covid, world news. It's like ho hum, so our coffee visits have become shorter.


My biggest concern is not partisan politics, or pending wars. My biggest worry is the environment. YET, no one is talking about it. When was the last time you heard anything new about Greta? In fact, Novak Djokovic is more of a headline maker nowadays. GAWD!!


SO yeah, I am feeling numb. Then it hit me. MAYBE being numb is in itself a good subject of discussion. Or not? Maybe we are numb about feeling numb? OR MAYBE, YOU don't feel as numb as I do.


So the topic of the day is numbness. Do you feel it? Or is it just me?



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