Digression Into Gulf

Sorry, no light-hearted blog today about the Mothman, The Braxton County Monster, and other strange, bizarre, and frightening phenomena about West Virginia. I was up this morning about 2:00 or so, my back aching, and well, just generally everything aching. Of course, what do I do? I take an Ibuprofen (the only one in the house), and I run about the Blogosphere, hoping to distract myself, laugh a little, and generally visit. I didn’t get very far until I was upset, angry, and grinding my teeth as I read comments sections digressing into the physical equivalent of shouting matches, fistfights, barroom brawls, and riots. Not since the elections of last year has Blogland been so divided along political lines. Now it would also appear that chasm is widening along socioeconomic lines. Its not just on Blogger either. I read journals from AOL, MSN, livejournal, etc. Everywhere I go I’m inundated by sarcastic, back-biting, smart-assed, snarky, hateful language, all directed at each other. Everyone has something to say, and no one wants to listen, they just want to say what they have to say, and no on else knows as much as they do, and no one else makes a valid argument. Then if you click on their blog, expecting some dissertation supporting their theories, its not there. Even the blogs where they aren’t talking about Katrina in the blog itself, they still get flamers because of a comment they made at someone else’s blog, so just trying to read the people who have had their say and let their feelings out about Katrina last week, doesn’t work either. Katrina has uncovered incompetence at every level of government. It has shown us how a few people can make life miserable for many, whether they be government or street thugs. It has shown us miracles and travesties. As always, disasters show the very best and the very worst of human behavior. We all want to believe we’re the National Guardsman carrying little girls to safety. We’re the people patrolling the streets, making it safe. We’re the people in helicopters and boats, saving people from dire, life-threatening situations. We’re the people handing out water and food. We’re the people helping people find their loved ones. We’re the people instilling hope and dignity back into devastated communities. If that’s who we want to believe we are, then we need to stop acting like street thugs. I can’t take it anymore. Its like a train wreck you can’t stop watching but I chose to stop watching. As an empath, you learn to filter. My filter is overwhelmed. I’ll be back next week sometime. Nate and I are going fossil hunting over the weekend and I would like to continue my West Virginia series but I can’t do that until I’m not feeling like I do now. I need some fresh air and some time with my little person. Peace.