Let’s see now — so many choices from last week’s news. Which one to pick as my subject du jour? The government nearly shutting down? It’s happened before. New York City flooding? Bad, but it needed a thorough washing. Trump suing Christopher Steele over allegations in his infamous dossier? Interesting, but there’s not much really new about another Trump lawsuit. I know — Cardi B. loves Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt! Really? I should write about that? I admire the Roosevelts too, but nobody’s interviewing me about it. So . . . pass. There’s more about the destruction of Nagorno-Karabakh, the passing of Senator Dianne Feinstein, and of course the never-ending war in Ukraine . . .

But wait a second — let’s go back to that Cardi B. thing. I’m curious as to what this . . . er, uh . . . unique individual might have to say about one of American history’s most accomplished and admired couples. So let’s take a look, just for fun.

First, these comments were made during an appearance on something called “First We Feast,” while she apparently munched on hot wings. Charming. Between bites, some of her views on today’s hottest topics were:

1) Extraterrestrials: She doesn’t believe in aliens. (Well, that’s too bad, because I understand they’re really hot for her.)

2) Her wigs: she ranks them, such as “cute” or “scammer.” (What the hell is a “scammer” wig? Is that the one she wears while she’s trying to convince the public that she’s a real entertainer?)

3) Clean versions of her songs: She doesn’t like them — says they’re “so annoying.” (I can’t even.)

4) Then there was a question about the time she took David Letterman out for a cheese sandwich. Seriously. I didn’t really understand that one, because she responded: “That wasn’t even like my favorite part . . . I don’t even care about that part. What stays in my mind for a long time is that I went to FDR’s house.” Sorry about that, Letterman. I hope you, like, at least enjoyed the cheese sandwich.

From this, the interviewer leapt to the conclusion that Ms. B. is “into history,” including the lives of the former president and first lady. Her affirmation: “If anybody loves me, knows me, knows that I love FDR. And I love Eleanor Roosevelt.” Yes, we love you, too, Cardi — We do! We do! And we know all about, like, how you love FDR and Eleanor! (In case you hadn’t noticed, I have a “thing” about the misuse of “like.” It’s beyond annoying.)

But then she went on to amaze her audience with her extensive knowledge of the history of the Roosevelt era: the fact that FDR was the only U.S. president to be elected four times; and how he steered the country through the Great Depression “while he’s in a wheelchair.” She also got a kick out of visiting the house in which Eleanor Roosevelt lived apart from her husband because, according to Cardi the Historian, “FDR’s mama, she was always around and [Eleanor] ain’t really like that. Eleanor wanted her space. Just like me, I want my space all the time.” And she added that she is “obsessed” with World War II and wants to learn everything about it. Everything!

Wow! That is truly newsworthy — so much so that even the History Channel took notice and posted on X (formerly known as, like, Twitter), “Looks like you may have a history career in your future @iamcardib.” And never one to allow the other guy to have the last word, she shared that with her followers, with a stuttering comment: “OMGGG.”

*. *. *

Enough said. Believe it or not, the purpose of this discussion is not to ridicule Ms. B’s interests, her intellect, or her command of the English language (although she really does provide plenty of ammunition, doesn’t she?). No, what I really want to point out is the level to which our — the public’s — interests have sunk. Stop the average person on the street and ask about Afghanistan (the country), or the purpose of the Electoral College (not a university), or the Polar ice caps (not a hockey team); and chances are you’ll get a blank stare that will last so long you’ll begin wondering whether you’re talking to a real-life zombie. But bring up the latest Hollywood divorce, or the attendance at the recent Taylor Swift concert, or who Mick Jagger is leaving his fortune to, and you’ll be rewarded with more information than you ever could have hoped for.

Because that’s how disconnected from the real world we’ve become. Once again, I remind you that I am not a psychiatrist or psychologist. But it seems to me that this mass retreat from the more serious side of life could well be attributable, at least in part, to the overwhelming volume of horrific news with which we are bombarded every day, day after day after day, such as the few examples I gave at the beginning of this sermon. And there has to be a saturation point — different for each individual — at which we simply turn it off, tune it out, and shut ourselves down. Then we turn for relief to the simple, the mindless, the foolish side of life — and if it’s someone else’s life, so much the better.

Or maybe . . . just maybe . . . there’s a little bit of the voyeur in all of us. Could it be that simple?

There’s nothing wrong with a little mindless fun, of course. But it’s not the be-all-and-end-all of life. So what’s the solution? How do we face the everyday realities of our world — the wars, the mass killings, the natural disasters — and still leave room in our minds and hearts for the good stuff? Because there is good stuff. Although we don’t see it in the daily news reports, since — as I’ve said many times before — if it’s good, it’s apparently not news.

Oddly enough, however, I do find a large measure of goodness on, of all things, Facebook.

For years, I avoided all social media as being pretty much a waste of time, as well as a source of too much information going out to too many people. But I finally added my profile to the Facebook family when I started this blog last year, as a means of promoting it. And it worked. I also reconnected with some very dear friends from years past whom I am thrilled to have back in my life. And I’ve found a world of friendship, and goodness, and humor, and warmth in the everyday postings about cute animals, babies, memories, and travelogs — all things that reassure me that there are many, many good people out there, doing good things for each other, and generally enjoying life.

But life, like silliness, is also about more than social media. It’s about connecting, and learning, and experiencing, and growing. For me, it’s been about years of traveling and soaking up the sights and sounds and tastes of foreign lands. And now that I can’t travel any longer, it’s about keeping in touch with those old friends; and reading — everything I can get my. hands on; and writing, writing, writing. In the simplest of terms, it’s about balance.

And that all makes it just a little easier to bear the load of bad stuff we can’t control . . . even the simple, mindless, foolish stuff. Even Cardi B.

And life goes on.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/5/23