I have always been a policy wonk; long before there was such a descriptive word. I read every paragraph James Reston wrote, and corresponded daily, by letter, to the Eisenhower White House. (Oh, that Ike; he must have had his mind on Kay Summersby; he never responded to my letters. I thought-- and I still do-- that the better informed a citizenry, the better the country would become.
Wrong! wrong!
Now, I am ready to throw in the towel. Everyone has what they consider an informed position, and everyone feels a need to write about it. There are paid pundits and self-promoting folks who use Jack Cafferty, for instance, to get their two-cent worth of "wisdom" out to the public.
Have a certain point of view, and you will find a newspaper, a radio station, a news channel to give you access... and validity and visibility. We are drowning in words. (Believe me, I love words, I'm a writer.) Just don't use the words foolishly; use them so they are useful , not full of hot air.
I was not going to blog today, but this morning, as I tried to digest the Dispatch and the New York Times, I had my a -ha moment. I just don't give a damn. It seems incredible but no one is credible anymore.
I may spend my days idly watching soap operas, eating boxes of bon-bons as the world turns.
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Dear lovely, always-credible, Mrs. Greene: Your blog is a breath of fresh air in a world full of hot air! If you blog, I will read, and that comment is completely credible!
ReplyDeleteThis is a fantastic entry, just wanted to tell you I completely agree with you on this
ReplyDeleteAs long as there are thinking people like you in Columbus Ohio the country will be OK! I was feeling pretty discouraged this week after being in a Capitol Hill Worshop for three days where none of the distinguished guest speakers could provide any optimistic response to the question I posed to them - Whether they could see any way forward out of the current polarized anti-intellectual political environment. I'm from Columbus but have lived and worked in DC for over 30 years.
ReplyDeleteI too enjoyed the NYer article on end of life medical care and have seen the benefts of hospice among family and friends. I especially appreciated your astute observation in another post about the conversation you and your family were able to have with your doctor which was decidedly not a death panel. What a shame that the loud voices succeed in removing that humane provision from the health care legislation.
As long as you continue to write, I will be a faithful reader of your blog. I blog, as do my three adult children, without expectation of wide readership. As a result of your engaging inteview, it appears you have achieved the pinnacle of 21st century journalism - your blog has gone viral. Congratulations.