I much prefer being an ostrich

Wtf, has the world has gone crazy while I was hiding from it?

Just last week I decided that I needed to be more aware of what is going on in the world. So I'm checking all the headlines a few times a day and reading various articles. It's worse than I remember. Much.

Is this summer more fucked up than usual? Or is it just my ignorance-is-bliss stance of late that has removed me from how crazy and hate-filled the human race can be?

Seriously -- why must people be filled with hate for other people simply because they don't look, or worship, or think like they do?

I'm not condoning Robin Williams suicide (also upsetting news), but honestly, the state of the world's affairs is seriously depressing and overwhelming. How do we effectively deal with it? There is so much sickness and death and bigotry and misunderstanding and greed and violence. Not to mention our own personal problems and struggles.

And the media? They are very little help. All this seriously upsetting shit is completely sensationalized. I mean, how long was the missing Malaysian plane the top story on CNN? (Or was it Fox? I haven't watched TV for months, so I'm not sure.) A month, two? Longer! Conspiracies, blame, live interviews, stinging sound bites. Anything to get the peeps to tune in.

And tune in they do. All day long. All night long. It's not good for you, people! (And you're only getting the story they're telling you.)

What is it about humans that draw us to bad news and tragedy? Why does traffic slow to a snail's pace even when the accident is cleared to the side of the road? Rubbernecking is for sickos.

I get that completely withdrawing from the events of the world is not the answer either, but can we get a little balance please?

There is amazing work going on in the world, and it gets so little air time. Why is that?

It does comfort me to know that the death of  B K S Iyengar today (it was still last night here) is getting coverage in media outlets as diverse as the Wall Street Journal to The  Guardian to Al Jazeera. And although the news of his death is on the one hand sad - he is with us no more - he was 95 years old and lived a life that made a difference to thousands (more likely hundreds of thousands) throughout the world. At least we can all agree that his work and life were inspirational, and worth reflecting upon.

So, here I offer you one of his better known quotes, one that reminds us (me) to seek equanimity even as the world falls apart around us.

“Yoga allows you to find an inner peace that is not ruffled and riled by the endless stresses and struggles of life.”