Thread by @OnKBHR

Good morning to you from the 49th state! This is Chris in the Morning on 57AM KBHR coming at you from the Minnifield Communication Network in beautiful downtown Cicely. #northernexposure thread

Billie Holiday - Let's Dream In The Moonlight via @YouTube

I don't know about you guys, but I've become a bit obsessed with politics lately. And it's a bit ironic, of course, because I'm not even allowed to vote. As you may recall, many years ago I spent some time in the State pen back in West Virginny for boosting a '71 Firebird...

...and well, that left me as a sort of persona non grata with respect to election participation. So, like some forbidden fruit, I'm now drawn to the process, perhaps moreso, because of my inability to partake. But despite my inability to cast a vote, I'm not short on opinions.

And my fellow Cicelians, this year my chakras are absolutely obstructed with it all - I'm not going to lie. I read the news, catch a bit of a debate on the tube, stumble upon a story on the interwebs and before I know it I'm fuming about one thing or another...

I was thinking about that when I stumbled upon this passage from the Buddhist sage Thích Nhất Hạnh in his book Being Peace:

“Humankind suffers very much from attachment to views.”

This speaks, of course, to the second noble truth of Buddhism: Samadaya. "Attachment is the root of suffering." And those of you who know me know I've not exactly 'suffered' when it comes to getting attached :)

But when it comes to attachments & obsession with one's political views, this topic gets extra sticky. A recent study documented that reading political news reduces your happiness 6% for every story you read or watch. SIX PERCENT PER STORY, campers!
pure.uva.nl/ws/files/17278…

So if I read or watch 4 political stories this morning, I'm starting my day about 25% more bummed out. But at the same time, I ( and we) want to remain informed because so much is going on all of the time!

And it strikes me that of all the freedoms we've lost in the recent years, maybe this is the most fundamental. We've lost the freedom FROM the news. We've lost the comfort of being able to tune out for a while without fear we missed out on some injustice being imposed on us...

So what is the antidote? It's finding the balance, of course - the yin and yang. The give and take. But what's the antidote of getting bummed out on political news? If I've dug a 25% hole in my heart this morning, how can I fill it back in? What's a slam dunk happy drug?

Well, I gave up peyote years ago.

No, I'm talking charity, people. Doing something nice for someone. Helping someone. Giving of yourself. All the psychology supports it. When we do good by our fellow homo sapiens we get a drug rush from the best of all uppers - endorphins.

So - sure, binge away if you must on that news - stay informed and get good & bummed. But then get out there and find someone to help. Give of yourself. Grab an oar and pull, Cicely. You won't regret it.

John Cale & Brian Eno - Lay My Love via @YouTube