Life Under a Rock

For the past couple of months I have been on an unintentional anti-news phase. I don't listen to NPR in the car, I definitely don't read more than one news article a week, and I don't watch any news programs on TV. It leaves me uninformed, illiterate about current events and . . . refreshed. Something about unplugging from faraway places means that I am left to focus more intentionally on my own life. I am more aware of my surroundings, more in tune with my thoughts and I feel closer to God.

There is one school of thought that says that any smart, educated young person needs to be knowledgeable and articulate about the goings-on in the world. And yet there is a part of me that realizes that when I spend too much time focused on issues and concerns outside of my small life, I become disconnected from myself.

I may have been the last person in the world to learn that Joplin, MO is recovering from the horrible aftermath of the deadliest tornado in decades. I don't have a clue what the White House or Congress is dealing with this week. And I don't even know if my old favorite news anchors are still on the air.

But this is what I do know: Today, the air outside smelled like summer - hot, heavy with moisture and the fragrance of grass clippings. I relish brief moments during the day when I can steal time for a quick reflection or prayer. I remember old friends more often. And I am surrounded by people I trust.

So there's something important to be said for a person who spends time keeping up with the world, as long as we don't use that as an excuse to avoid a little introspection.