This morning, like most mornings, I trudged downstairs to find Emma (13) showered, dressed and eating the well-balanced breakfast she prepared for, not only herself, but her little brother. Her book bag was packed and she was reading over her notes for a quiz that isn’t until tomorrow. She was watching Fox News.
As I yanked a coffee cup from the cabinet (I need 3 sips before civility kicks in), I listened to the TV over my shoulder. In the time it took me to turn the cup right side up, spoon in a half a sugar shell of sugar, fill the cup 2/3 full, get the milk from the refrigerator, fill the cup the remaining 1/3, return the milk to the refrigerator, stir and turn away from the coffeemaker to the TV on the opposite side of the room, I got mad.
A brief recap:
- James Hoffa yelled from a podium to a room of hundreds that Labor Party supporters should ”take these S.O.B’s out”, referring to Tea Party supporters. Except he didn’t use the letters S, O and B. He enunciated very clearly each of the 3 words and I appreciate FoxNews replaying it multiple times for my children to enjoy while they had their breakfast before school. Who needs protein when you’ve got cuss words to rev you up?
- Three members of the GOP have announced they will not be attending the President’s speech tonight. “Why?” asked Emma. “Because they don’t like what they think he’s going to say,” I said. Ben (11) tuned in with wide and expectant eyes. “So, can I skip Mrs. Heather’s class today then?” Thank you, again, national media and – last, but not least – our country’s leaders.
- The broadcasters debated – ad nauseam – the President’s lip service toward creating a more civil approach to political discourse yet running an Administration that breeds less than mannerly behavior and does civility really matter anymore. Emma and Ben glanced over at me as if they had learned something I had yet to realize.
You can imagine the distaste.
The kitchen was quiet while we watched a segment on 2 dolphins colliding head first into one another – killing one of them. Oh, the fun we were having.
“Are politicians bad?” asked Emma.
After sip #2, I gave her a very politically correct answer.
As the “older woman” now I have so much awareness that as a society we are doing little to protect our heads and hearts, much less the children’s. We turned off the T.V. during mornings a good bit ago, it just wasn’t family friendly. The advantage? We began talking to each other instead of “at” each other when our voices were the only ones heard in the house during family time.
You’d think it would have been lightning that struck….
Peace matters….in our hearts, our homes, and our minds.
xoxo
S
We stopped watching TV during the week and it’s great during that time of day to actually talk…like you said. Hubs and I watch occasionally. Emma has to turn in a current events report nearly every Friday, so she’s got to be able to see what’s going on in the world. It’s just unfortunate that our leaders are NOT leaders and our “news” is so depressing. But I couldn’t agree more that peace matters. Lord knows we could all use an extra dose!
Thanks for reading!