I am having a media vacation – to be more specific a news media vacation. Which is hard for a self-confessed news junkie. I realised, watching the news broadcast of the police shooting of another black man in Atlanta, that it was enough. I felt physically sick.
When I was self-isolating on my own for the first month I stayed away from the news as I needed to keep my mental health in check and the best way to do this was to focus on other stuff not COVID19 related. It is well known that the emotional content of films and television programs can affect one’s psychological health. And mine needed to be safeguarded. But over the past month my news addiction has resurfaced.
When Trump got elected, I was so outraged that I didn’t watch the news for weeks. I just couldn’t bear to see his gloating ugly face. The same with Brexit. And when Tod’s father had his first heart attack his doctor prescribed no tv news or newspapers because it was having a detrimental effect on his already damaged heart.
I remember too my mother calling me on a daily basis anxious about world news “Have you heard about…. it is terrible and …… I am so upset… etc” And I would reply “Mum stop watching the news”. So, I am now telling myself STOP WATCHING THE NEWS.
Which of course gives me time for other things and this morning it was yoga. Focusing on my down dog I was mindful that the leaders of the Greek Orthodox Church have now formally warned their followers against taking up yoga practice. Apparently, they say it is “completely incompatible” with the Christian faith. They do not consider it a physical exercise but more “a fundamental chapter of the Hindu religion.” That’s not going to go down well with my Greek yogi friends. It is such a sign of insecurity when one group, sector or religion is so fearful of co-existing with those of different beliefs. I have never understood that one. A bit more enlightenment would not go amiss. I finished my Yoga with a few OM’s which I dedicated to the Greek Orthodox Church.
The highlight of the week arrived today – our weekly food and veg shop. It’s a bit sad really how excited we get as we open all the packages and wash the contents. “Oh, how lovely apricots, rhubarb, mushrooms and avocados,” we cooed as we washed everything just in case! How our world has shrunk.
I have been buying from The Odd box Company – as it’s usp is that its products are surplus food and veg that cannot be sold to shops because they are the wrong shape or colour. I hate waste so this feels right. It would also feel right if they provided some of this food to Food Banks – which they might already do.
When we were running our drop in for asylum seekers, I forged links with a number of companies to supply us with shoes and clothes. They told me that I would be shocked if I could see what ends up in landfill. Perfectly good items that might for example, have one hole for a trainer shoelace bigger than another hole, or a zip on a dress not perfectly symmetrical, or a colour slightly off the advertised shade. When we come out of this lockdown this is going to be one of my projects. I will be policing landfills.
The bottom of the garden is almost finished but there is one aspect of this lovely Cotswold stone gravel that we hadn’t thought about. Mo has been inviting all her neighbourhood friends to check out the giant litter tray.
“Let’s be careful out there”
Serendipity Me 