More Thoughts About our C-virus World, Our Work During This Easter Season
Last week we reviewed our current situation, a/k/a our "C-virus World." It's affected all of us, some more than others, but all of us in some manner. While my own business has been affected, I suspect it's less than some others. My daily work has suffered least of all. I do what I do more or less as I've been doing it in recent years. As for revenue, well, there's been an impact, and there might be an even greater impact in the future. But I can't - and don't - complain. I know others who have been hit hard in their work lives. And, of course, we don't want to gloss over those who have actually had a bout with this COVID-19, as well as those who've lost loved ones.
While my daily work remains as demanding and all-encompassing as it had been before the lock down imposed by governments around the world, I have, despite this, spent at least a modicum of time reading - selectively - various opinions and analyses of data that have attempted to explain the nature and degree of danger presented by the virus. In addition, I've read some of the forecasts about how and when this lock down will end - again, selectively - and the possible state we'll all be in when it does. I emphasize "selectively" because so much of what the various media put out there - traditional and so-called "alternative" media - simply isn't worth the paper it's written on or the bandwidth it takes up.
"Fake news" comes to mind here. But it goes beyond that. Yes, a percentage of what flies at us each day consists of chunks of propaganda intended to influence your views and, ultimately, your votes. Yes, a percentage of what we read and hear was crafted simply to provide stories that will draw in enough listeners, viewers, and readers such that the media source can garner subscription fees and or advertising to bolster revenue. But let's not forget the sheer ignorance and lack of coherent thinking that plagues our modern world, a good slice of which has infected the brains of those who attempt to influence us in the public forum.
If you understand this, you too, I would imagine - or hope - are selective in what you view, listen to, and read.
Frankly, anyone who works reasonably hard each day simply can't afford to spend inordinate amounts of time on general media stories, never mind popular frou-frou like cable TV, pop culture streaming video services (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc., etc.). Life is too short, and the demands of the day's work too long.
Even if you factor in commute time that used to suck up a couple of hours or more each day, or if you're currently unemployed and find yourself with "time on your hands," there have got to be better ways to spend your time and energy. Okay, I'm not saying you need to avoid all things of general interest, all popular media. But, seriously, get a grip and get down to some serious listening and reading and - dare we say it? - thinking.
(Now, to be clear, I'm not saying this post lives up to serious reading or that it embodies a high level of thinking. But it's a fair stab at it. Otherwise, I wouldn't waste your time.)
As a result of, and in response to all this, we offered an opinion about who to believe and what to believe when it comes to COVID-19 and the current state and fate of our C-virus world. Given our answers, we pivoted to the virtue of hope and a focus on the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ as a sure means to keep us, well, hopeful, and grounded in the fundamentals of our Catholic Faith. These, more than all the analysis and opinions we garner from our listening, viewing, and reading will prove critical to our feeling our way through the mess we're in.
But without in any way minimizing the critical importance of hope and faith, I came across something recently that I found incrementally enlightening and energizing. It came across my desk from someone I had known in the past, with whose character and work I was personally familiar. Given my familiarity, I took the time to read what he had to say and spend some time parsing his words and giving them some serious thought. I'll share all this with you next time.
I was going to sign off with the now-familiar "Stay safe," or its cousin, "Stay well," but, as you'll see next time, there's something more meaningful we Catholics might consider as an alternative.
While my daily work remains as demanding and all-encompassing as it had been before the lock down imposed by governments around the world, I have, despite this, spent at least a modicum of time reading - selectively - various opinions and analyses of data that have attempted to explain the nature and degree of danger presented by the virus. In addition, I've read some of the forecasts about how and when this lock down will end - again, selectively - and the possible state we'll all be in when it does. I emphasize "selectively" because so much of what the various media put out there - traditional and so-called "alternative" media - simply isn't worth the paper it's written on or the bandwidth it takes up.
"Fake news" comes to mind here. But it goes beyond that. Yes, a percentage of what flies at us each day consists of chunks of propaganda intended to influence your views and, ultimately, your votes. Yes, a percentage of what we read and hear was crafted simply to provide stories that will draw in enough listeners, viewers, and readers such that the media source can garner subscription fees and or advertising to bolster revenue. But let's not forget the sheer ignorance and lack of coherent thinking that plagues our modern world, a good slice of which has infected the brains of those who attempt to influence us in the public forum.
If you understand this, you too, I would imagine - or hope - are selective in what you view, listen to, and read.
Frankly, anyone who works reasonably hard each day simply can't afford to spend inordinate amounts of time on general media stories, never mind popular frou-frou like cable TV, pop culture streaming video services (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc., etc.). Life is too short, and the demands of the day's work too long.
Even if you factor in commute time that used to suck up a couple of hours or more each day, or if you're currently unemployed and find yourself with "time on your hands," there have got to be better ways to spend your time and energy. Okay, I'm not saying you need to avoid all things of general interest, all popular media. But, seriously, get a grip and get down to some serious listening and reading and - dare we say it? - thinking.
(Now, to be clear, I'm not saying this post lives up to serious reading or that it embodies a high level of thinking. But it's a fair stab at it. Otherwise, I wouldn't waste your time.)
As a result of, and in response to all this, we offered an opinion about who to believe and what to believe when it comes to COVID-19 and the current state and fate of our C-virus world. Given our answers, we pivoted to the virtue of hope and a focus on the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ as a sure means to keep us, well, hopeful, and grounded in the fundamentals of our Catholic Faith. These, more than all the analysis and opinions we garner from our listening, viewing, and reading will prove critical to our feeling our way through the mess we're in.
But without in any way minimizing the critical importance of hope and faith, I came across something recently that I found incrementally enlightening and energizing. It came across my desk from someone I had known in the past, with whose character and work I was personally familiar. Given my familiarity, I took the time to read what he had to say and spend some time parsing his words and giving them some serious thought. I'll share all this with you next time.
I was going to sign off with the now-familiar "Stay safe," or its cousin, "Stay well," but, as you'll see next time, there's something more meaningful we Catholics might consider as an alternative.
Happy Easter!
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