This morning, Polimom was (as usual) poking around online, wondering which of today’s events would inspire. While reading the latest about the terrible attacks yesterday in India, Adorable Child (AC) wandered in, so I asked whether she’d heard about it.
Not only had she heard, she said, “Mommy, can we move to Australia? It seems like it might be safe there.”
The little girl who’s nickname was the Sunshine Girl is worried about a safe place to live… and I alone am responsible for this.
What have I done???
Polimom’s readers know that something’s been not quite right recently. Blogging has dropped off in both quantity and quality and my humor has given way to a pervasive angst. Every day, the news has gotten worse… and my thoughts have grown ever darker.
The truth is, what I wrote yesterday — while targeted at others — applies to me.
I’ve caught mind scurvy, and while I don’t think I’m infected with the card-carrying ideological strain, there’s another type that’s every bit as destructive.
A continual diet of war, poverty, racism, and religious extremism ad nauseum, combined with the absolutely repulsive abandonment of civility online, has sucked the light — and hope — from my mind, my writing, and ultimately my entire environment.
I’ve been spewing scurvy-germs — all over the internet, and (far worse) on my daughter. Bleccchhhh!
Not only that, but I knew better! I wrote about this in April with a piece about AC, and the snake-swallows-tail negativity cycles (with emphasis).
However, adults who consider themselves to be rational individuals, but find themselves foaming and raving at a stranger on the internet because of something they read elsewhere might want to spend a bit of time reading Sierra’s piece. Otherwise, they might not realize they’ve allowed someone else’s irrational anger to hijack their emotions.
Knowledge is power, but it only helps if people acquire it.
How ironic.
Today, I have something to add to that: one has to do more than acquire the knowledge; one must then apply it! (Yes, I’m having a “duh” moment here.)
AC, I’m so sorry. Mommy’s gonna climb out of the pit now….
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