Breaking News

There was an extreme earthquake in Haiti yesterday. I found this out from the television at the restaurant where Anna and I were consuming bevvies and tasty snacks for my birthday. While I watched the close-captioning scroll across the screen, absorbing the images that came with them, I suddenly realized that I couldn't pinpoint the last time I watched a news program. I then remembered that it was while I was home for Christmas and the time before that I was home for Thanksgiving and wouldn't you know?--the time before that was when I was home for Halloween.

Watching news shows really get under my skin. As a highly sensitive person, I can't handle watching or hearing about violence, disaster, or tragedies without first protecting myself. Instead of watching the news, I choose to read articles online which allow me more control over the information I'm taking-in. Unfortunately, I'm not actually getting my news from highly validated sources. I get my news from Tumblr. If something really intense happens, someone posts it on Tumblr and within an hour I know about it. Usually it comes with a link to a valid article and if it doesn't I might search to find more information. But that's not always the case.

I've realized that I stay informed with current events that are of interest to my immediate social sphere. For example, Elizabeth and I will discuss the new product gossip we've read about on the Lush Portal while we're at work. My lesbian blogger friends, lovingly called Tumblesbians and I keep each other updated on which celebrity has just come out of the closet and any new relationship news we've heard. My housemates and I will talk about new restaurants opening or bands that are playing shows in upcoming weeks. Politics, healthcare, global happenings are not things that my social groups discuss frequently, at least not with me.

When I used to be involved with organizations geared towards spreading awareness of same-sex couple injustices or environmental impacts, I was much more aware of how I discussed those things with other people in my life. I wanted to keep up to date on those topics because I wanted to contribute to those conversations, I wanted to have a definite position on topics that could arise and I wanted to ask constructive questions.

Regardless of the fact that I'm temporarily not working with any organizations, I should still keep myself up to date with the ongoings in this world. I am a part of this intricate Universe and if I am to positively add to it, I should know what I'm working with.