I have had it. At the risk of sounding unsympathetic and unperturbed, I have heard enough about unfortunate police shootings, Corona and the political turmoil in the United States. As much as I appreciate Anderson Cooper and Chris Cuomo, just about every time their mouths move, it is to create the overture for the tragedies of the day. Who has killed whom? Who is planning to kill whom? When will the world as we know it decay and collapse? When I worked in a Michigan television newsroom, the plan for lucrative news presentation was consistently "If it bleeds, it leads."
What happened to "I Love Lucy, Leave It To Beaver and The Honeymooners?" How I loved looking forward to sitting on the sofa with my family and friends, eating hot dogs and listening to music that was competing for Billboard music awards. Seeing Broadway musicals on television was as exciting as evenings could get.....unless is competed with Elvis.
While I need to know about tragedy, I also have to balance it with pleasure, joyfulness and delight. I care deeply about unnecessary death and malicious behaviors, but, while I remain aware, I want shared cheerfulness with family, neighbors and friends. I will eat spinach, whole wheat bread and beans. Tonight I will watch Cuomo but, I also want that macaroni and cheese topped off with a few jelly beans after the misery is reported.