I am giving myself a challenge. No news for 40 days. Like my wife, Stephie, who starts each year with a 40 cleanse where she gives up sugar and caffeine - I am giving up the news. Just before doing this I checked the headlines. It confirmed what a good idea this is. If Ram Das was right, we cannot “be here now” if we are filling our brains with “out there” rather than “in here." We need to pay attention to our own personal news feed everyday. What is on our own front page?
If I stop taking in all the news out in the world, I have the time and space to enjoy my own private news feed. Instagram feeds that thrill me. Music I have discovered that becomes the soundtrack for shaving in the morning. Sharing photos (of course). Sharing joy…but also sharing fears. Wrapping the fears in recycled boxes and tying old bakers’ twine around them.
Every night my wife Stephie (@stephielange) heads down to the work station in the basement, grabs a scan of the front page and then totally obscures the news with graphics, images of mine, and a great sense of humor. I sit in the dining room writing the text. At some point she pounds on the ceiling or I kick on the floor (usually Stephie finishes first) and we merge the work into posts on my social feeds: IG (@george.lange) and FB (George Lange)
And as always....thanks and love to Stephie Lange for the daily collages! (@stephielange)
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