Scapegoat
The annoying fake clock on the rustic armoire
to my right: I blame it for its fake ticking
and faux brass finish. It’s a piece of plastic
whose little chandelier of balls twists
with a battery assist and tick-rocks as if it had works,
a delicate clockmaker’s should keeping time
for the aimless folk nearby. It’s a phony,
a cheap wedding gift from the chain-smoking mother
of a former friend whose voice hasn’t soiled
our old-fashioned answering device
on our old-fashioned landline for decades.
I should hurl it at the wall and curse the whole family
for their fondness for plaster of Paris cupids
and Amaretto. To say nothing of their fiscal improprieties.
But there would be consequences.
I’d have to pick up the pieces
and explain my rage, a tiny whirlwind
keening for justice and retribution,
pure abstracts in a world of fake clocks
and false promises, grifters and crooks.
~ Will Walker
‘The World Since Yesterday
The result? Weakened democratic oversight and reduced public engagement. What now?
1/ Set boundaries: Pick 2-3 key issues you deeply care about and focus your attention there. You can't track everything - that's by design. Impact comes from sustained focus, not scattered awareness.
2/ Use aggregators & experts: Find trusted analysts who do the heavy lifting of synthesis. Look for those explaining patterns, not just events.
3/ Remember: Feeling overwhelmed is the point. When you recognize this, you regain some power. Take breaks. Process. This is a marathon.
4/ Practice going slow: Wait 48hrs before reacting to new policies. The urgent clouds the important. Initial reporting often misses context.
5/ Build community: Share the cognitive load. Different people track different issues. Network intelligence beats individual overload.
Remember: They want you scattered. Your focus is resistance".
So glad I "did" Costco yesterday and I have a lot of food and supplies and I will probably stay in today to catch up on my reading and I will avoid sloshing about in our much needed rain. I did get a good walk with Jen and the Two Dogs yesterday afternoon so maybe some exercises and stretches today will keep me somewhat OK. Motion is Lotion, or so my acupuncturist tells me.
Many of us seem to be drawn to these Nordic cold-and-snow mystery stories. Count me in. The Are Murders takes place in Sweden. Only five episodes, so not a long binge for me. Find our brave woman detective (top photo) on Netflix.
