When I read or watch the news, all I see is politics, celebrity gossip, COVID-19 conspiracy theories, and other useless things. I know politics are important but don’t run it into the ground. 2020 has been a tough year for all of us. We’ve had a change of scenery that may or may not be healthy for our wellbeing. Who has been through a hard time in quarantine this year? Raise your hand. If you can’t tell, I’m obviously raising mine, and I’m sure plenty of you are too. 

I know that news on the COVID-19 spikes and presidential debates, rallies, and campaigns are very important, but must we only speak of that subject? Have you heard of the movie ‘Groundhog Day’? Every day, I feel like I’m in that movie… In this movie, Bill Murray, the main actor, suddenly starts to wake up every morning, finding out it’s still the same day… Groundhog Day. It’s always the same day, same news, same weather, same everything. Do you feel like that movie is a reality, like me? I can’t stand it. I want something new, bold, and exciting. Hearing about COVID-19 every day just upsets me. I’ve lost someone to it, so I know it’s important to discuss it. But I don’t want to hear about it everywhere  I turn…

               Are political rants the only thing I need to know about? Gosh, it seems as though the media wants me to dream about politics in my sleep! I just want my normal world back. There is something that always goes through my head… it’s a quote from a movie that I relate to, and it may seem silly to you. But, in ‘Shrek Forever After’, Shrek at one point says- “…when I could do what I wanted when I wanted to do it! Back when the world made sense!” Every time I tell myself or someone else how much I miss the way the world used to be, this quote always enters my mind…

This constant news being fed to us by the media is turning some of us into hermits, wanting to stay inside because the outside world is in conflict. Of course, staying inside is important because social distancing is a top priority, but the murder hornets news earlier this year sort of frightened me, okay? I’m afraid of things with stingers. 

Steering back to what I was saying, we need a change. We need to see the purity of 2020. Because of all the constant gossip and political rants bombarding our local news stations, no one seems to notice the recent historical and scientific discoveries, the new musicians and artists turning their quarantine struggles into lovely masterpieces, and all the simple little things in life that actually matter! At least watch some cute dog and cat videos, for my sake and yours too.

For example, the youtube channel ‘Daily Dose of Internet’ is a wonderful place to start. My father and I watch it together every day. It shows us all the beautiful things in the world that are happening that we don’t hear about anymore. Restore your faith in humanity, and 2020! Google some new discoveries! Find a topic to research because I bet that you’ll find something you like, and it will ease your mind. 

Did you know that in September, a 2,400-year-old mask of the Greek god Dionysus was discovered in Anatolia? What about the 17 new spider species found this year? Did you ever hear that Tasmanian Devils have finally returned to Mainland Australia for the first time in 3,000 years? If you just found out about all this through me, that truly shows you that important discoveries in nature and history have been made, and is credit given where credit is due? I don’t think so, but it should be. 

Hearing the good news of recent discoveries and seeing the simple but beautiful things in 2020 will ultimately make you feel better, I promise.  All this good news is truly a sight for sore eyes.