As I start to get ready to take my next jump west, things are starting to slow down in Colorado where I am staying right now. For almost two weeks, I have been a tourist in the town that I grew up in. I have visited some of my favorite places in this state, and even got to see a couple that I have never been to. I got to catch up with friends I haven’t seen for a long time, and have some quality time with my family. At times, the trip has been a little hectic with one event planned after another, and even though this might be the case, I have really enjoyed the time I have gotten to spend out here. Just last night I went over to my sister’s house to have a home cooked lasagna, a delicacy that they haven’t quite figured out in Korea yet, and yes, it was delicious, but it was the conversation and the wine that I enjoyed the most.
I have found that since I have more time to relax, I have been able to reflect on the trip so far, and think about what it means. When you live out of a suitcase for a long time, it requires you to make some changes while you are doing it. One of the things I have noticed is that I have not watched that much television, and because my cellular service is from South Korea, I have not been as tied to my electronic devices. I have been out making connections with people and enjoying the sun while it out there. It made me think of what summer used to be when I was younger, spending time with my friends outside and not concerning myself with the larger problems of that come with the busier times of the year. It is all about living in the moment I find myself in, and letting my location become the most important one.
This has meant that I have not watched a lot of the news. In fact, I haven’t really picked up a paper to stay on top of what is going on in the world. I know that there are former students of mine that are screaming that I am being a hypocrite. I always preached the importance of reading the paper, and being well-informed. That you could not make a decision in this world if you didn’t really know what was going on in it. And I still do believe in the importance of the news, but I am also starting to see how little politics and the absurdity of the world-leaders actually affect my life. Nothing much has changed based on the lack of knowledge that I have about world events, and I do believe that for the most part I have been happier because I have not wrapped myself up in this absurdity.
It made me think about a quote that I used to spend so much time on when I taught American literature. It was from Henry David Thoreau’s Walden and it voiced his opinion on the penny-post, or letters back in the day that cost a penny for the postage. He said, “For my part, I could easily do without the post-office. I think that there are very few communications made through it.” I used to make the comparison to the countless texts that the youth of today sends to each other. The message I was trying to make that they spend so much time on these messages that really do not mean anything. The messages can wait until they are face to face, and the communication prevents us from really concerning ourselves with what is happening right in front of us. The messages could wait.
I did not think to apply this to the news as well. Yes, there are many decisions made by politicians that eventually affect us in some form or fashion. But there is really not a lot we can do about those decisions until it comes to election time. In fact, all the news does in this day is to stir up dissension among the people and keeps us staring at the idiots who are running this world. Sometimes it is better if we turn it off and not worry about what they are doing. We will find that we are happier because of it. I have found out that this is the case while I am taking this trip. In fact the only times I have found that I have been tense about the world is when I have caught little bits and pieces of what is going on.
Now, yes, it is important to be informed, especially when it is time to make decisions that may impact others. But we do not need the constant campaigning and bickering that goes on during most of the time. The information that we are given is not worth the data that is wasted to deliver it to us. We instead should take the time to become informed when election time comes around, and visit the news from time to time to find out the bigger things that we need to know. I appreciate the way that elections are run in South Korea because it forces the citizens to do exactly this. Politicians are not allowed to campaign until a month before the election. They are not gearing up for the next election just as soon as they have finished the one that they won. This way, the decision that the citizens make is informed on the issues, and not on the inane bickering and sound bites that are presented these days. And after the election, the politicians can concentrate on their jobs instead of trying to get re-elected.
I see all of this better now because I have put the remote down, and have not picked up the paper as much. I will go back to it when I get back to my home, but I will continue to enjoy the moments I have been given for now without concerning myself about the worries created by the press.
John Collings 