Apocolyptic News ..

Whether or not you've been bitten by the Twitter bug, my take on this media tool is mixed. Lately, more than anything else, this steam serves to remind me why I wasn't watching the TV news in the first place. I joined this particular variant strain of social and educational media for the great discounts it gave me access to. Once registered, I found even more bits of value in it. Thanks to twitter I know what's going on in the world without skimming news websites for headlines. If it's important, a news agency will send it right to me, without clogging my inbox, then I can decide to read further or not. I need to keep current on a lot of newsworthy topics for work, so what a convenient way to do so.

Besides, how dreadful could the news get if it's condensed to 140 characters?

Pretty damn dreadful.

Since the start of 2010, I've learned about natural disasters hitting the globe: earthquakes, avalanches, a terrible heatwave, a tsunami. Just today in Haiti an earthquake that has warranted another tsunami warning. Beyond the planet doing as it does, it is always painful to see reports of people inflicting pain on one another. 2010 has already brought it hard. In the form of bombs (hitting military bases, tourist sites, transit, religious institutions, and private homes), shootings, road rage, theft, sexual abuse and kidnapping. I've read about war and the threat of it, and the death of soldiers that inherently comes with military incursions and just having bases in other countries. The word "terror" or "terrorist" keeps reappearing in the feed. Hostage situations. Huge layoffs, the remnants of a country's floundering economic infrastructure. That's a lot of demolition for one optimist to handle.

Plus there are the unexplained. A 30 year old dying of 'natural' causes. Government's inability to consider gay marriage equal to heterosexual marriage. The news items that hurt my heart.

Don't get me wrong, there are the human interest headlines too, and I subscribe to zagat and others that sprinkle happiness into this stream of dismal. Or I'll come across a piece that is community service or social justice oriented, or highlights eco-friendly practices. It makes me remember that something is right with this world. Somewhere things are in place.

Despite the occasional story of valor, heroism or worth, I can't just let go of the concern raised by the countless disasters that I learn of. At best, I am drawn toward prayer - for peace, for serenity, for an understanding that will help me return to that sense of gratitude I have every night I go to bed, and every day I wake up.

This spring I will have the opportunity to get to know a few journalists closely. I wonder what I should ask them about what it means for them to be in the trenches with the kinds of events that make me realize the world is a little bit crazy. I also can't help but question what is the value of much of this news? In what ways does knowing about all this dread; crimes, dysfunction, terror help me live a better life?

I can't help but wonder. And exhale. And realize that in order to accomplish it all, I may not need to know it all.

An Invitation: The American Dream

We all want to find success - in pursuit of our passion, or in establishing financial freedom. We want to be high achievers in work, love, family, and education. Social media works so well because we all have egos. We want to shout our accomplishments from the rooftops. If that's the case, then yes, call this my rooftop. After all, I live in a city with limited roof access.

The "American dream," of social mobility has evolved and intertwined with our demand for instant gratification, and now it seems Americans (and we are not alone in this, of course) are enticed by a life of excess. Call it what you will, but it's more than consumerism, it's a culture of emulating the wrong culture makers. A drive to live like a star. Is the "American Dream" what drove this nation into debt? Has it become a little bit soulless? Perhaps. It may be time for a new American dream.

There's that environmental dream on the horizon. I heard it first in whispers when smog covered LA in the 80s. To some extent, I consider myself an environmentalist. But I don't want to forgo society for one cause. This isn't about a cause, it's about lifestyle choices. To that end, I've heard great speeches which leave me questioning if the massive portion of my paycheck spent on rent couldn't better be distributed to the hungry, the needy, the impoverished, ill and elderly in this community or elsewhere. But I worked for this paycheck, I earned it. Don't I deserve to enjoy the (organic) fruits of my labor? Or is that just an icky outcropping of entitlement?

In all of my professional pursuits, I work with and for organizations and institutions that change the world, whether it's by supporting families, educating our youth, researching environmental trends and solutions to poverty. There is no denying that I have chosen a profession which is part of the greater picture, and I am proud of what I do. I will always question what personal decisions I make... I just may not do it at the moment I'm trying on those glorious shoes at DSW.


Is it selfish of me to want the red heels or cashmere sweater? Is it worse for me to skimp and buy an item from a company that probably employed underage and overworked children? What can I do to assuage this guilty conscience?

I am going to dedicate myself to accomplishing my own American dream. The one that includes a bevy of activities that make me happy. Those that I can both enjoy and create: food, art, social opportunities, Jewish learning & teaching, writing, yoga and those which I can pursue: friendship, love, perfect nights, new experiences, eco-consciousness, happiness, health, and that ever elusive sense of balance.

So I invite you to share in my experiences, accomplishments and challenges. It's bound to be an exciting trip.