Difficult times

I started this post yesterday when I was feeling upset about the recent plane crash. This morning, I heard about another one in Philidelphia. I generally try to be positive here, but chatting about the roses I got when I was preoccupied with fires and crashes didn't seem right. So bear with me as I ramble on about a difficult subject.

An unfortunate fact of life is that tragedies happen somewhere to somebody every day. Some of them only affect a few people at a time, and some happen in a big way to many people at once. These are the ones that occupy the news. Recently, that has been the plane and helicopter crash in Washington, D.C.

This crash really has nothing to do with me, but because I am familiar with its surroundings, it is hitting harder than some other disasters.

I can't imagine the pain that the families are going through as bodies are being recovered, but it has unsettled me all the same. I have a few tangential connections that have given me pause. To begin with, I have flown many times in and out of Reagan National Airport and drive by there at least once a month. 

The airport is not on the city's outskirts like it once was because the expanding population has grown around it. Ward grew up 12 miles from there and said he remembers loud planes going over his house and they would have to pause their conversation because of the noise. After many complaints from homes, the airport changed the flight patterns to go down the Potomac River and over fewer neighborhoods. They have been doing this for decades, but it can make the approaches to the airport more difficult.

The army helicopter was stationed at the base where my father-in-law worked for years and lived for a time as a youth. I have visited the base a few times with Ward's grandmother, and my father-in-law still lives nearby.

Speaking of helicopters, my niece is a Coast Guard helicopter pilot. Her current assignment is to patrol the airspace over Washington, D.C. If someone ventures into the airspace, usually innocently, she warns them that they need to move. If they don't comply, the Air Force comes in. I haven't had a chance to talk to her to see if this recent crash has changed her job.

Also, we have a friend who works for the NTSB and travels worldwide evaluating plane crashes. I don't know if he is involved with this one, but he has told some interesting stories over the years.

Humans are not made to handle constant stress. We can't internalize every tragedy we see, but with continuous news sources, we see a constant stream of them. I once heard that our brains are still wired to receive news at the speed of thousands of years ago when a runner spread the news from one village to another. Sometimes, days or weeks could go by without hearing anything significant.

I'm not sure what to do with these overwhelming tragedies except to contribute money and time when I can and try to be pleasant and helpful in little ways to all I meet. You never know what personal problems someone is dealing with, and a little kindness can sometimes go a long way.

The News and me

I have a routine. Every morning, I have breakfast while I watch one of the morning news shows. Usually, I have the sound off and just read the crawlers to get an overview of what's happening in the world. Occasionally, I listen to a whole story or go online to find out more details. But mostly, the headlines are all that I can handle. It's hard to process all the reported tragedies in the world, whether they are caused by man or nature.

I read once that it is normal to be overwhelmed with the amount of bad news we are exposed to these days. At one point, news traveled by messenger on foot from village to village, and it would sometimes take days to arrive. Biologically, our brains have not evolved much past that stage. So, of course, it's easy to be overwhelmed by the constant barrage of news available today. (And I won't even talk about the misinformation and bias that we have to sort through.)

I can occasionally do something to help in a bad situation that I see on the news, such as donating to an organization with feet on the ground, but mostly, the best I can do is fret. So how do I handle this situation? I must admit that my first coping mechanism is to bury my head in the sand and not focus on the world's problems. I am a fairly empathetic person, so this is easier said than done. 

But mostly, I think about what I can do to make the day better for those around me, hoping for a ripple effect. Maybe one of those ripples will reach someone I don't know. I start with little things. I try to make eye contact, smile, and say hi to the people I meet.*  Included with is idea is to be polite and respectful to any service people who help me. I also offer to reach things (my long arms come in handy sometimes) or carry items for people. Simple things that most of us do but are usually appreciated. I know I appreciate these gestures. 

This all comes down to kindness which happens to be the focus this summer at work. Next time, I'll tell you a bit about that. And speaking of work, I better stop now so I won't be late.

Until next time...

*Disclaimer here. I know eye contact is not the respectful thing to do in some cultures, and if you're from a big city, you might find it odd if a stranger said hi to you. I had a friend who came to this country for college and was very confused about why people said hi to her when they didn't know her. Anyway, I try to read the situation as best I can and act accordingly.