Paul Wood, President/CEO, Georgia Electric Membership Corp.

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BY PAUL WOOD
President/CEO, Georgia Electric Membership Corporation

Have you noticed the trend among major media to search for and convey to us repeatedly the worst-case scenario for nearly every news event taking place or expected to take place on this globe? It’s always, “Disaster rears its ugly head and many are hurt. Details at 11.”

It’s an unrelenting barrage.

We don’t get a simple weather forecast anymore. We get something that starts with, “Beware bitter blast.” If it’s really bad, it might be, “Wicked winter weather hits tonight.” (The headline must have alliteration in it.) As soon as one weather catastrophe passes, another strikes, and each is usually worse than the last. Fires whip through California, ice cripples the Midwest, blizzard conditions pummel the Northeast. In the next news cycle, mudslides in Southern California have replaced fires in the headlines, flooding has replaced blizzard conditions in the Northeast. “It’s never been this bad.”

But it will get worse; you can count on it.

Last night I saw a report about a study from the National Academy of Sciences, outlining the grim possibilities for the entire Earth from a worst-case-scenario solar storm. Yes, the entire Earth! It seems a new solar storm could melt electric transmission lines, knock out satellites and disrupt all communications. “Command and control might be lost.”

But wait, there’s more! “The last major solar storm occurred in 1859, and since they come about every 100 years, we are long overdue.” See what I mean?

Nature isn’t the only source of news to scare us. Hallowed institutions in which we put our trust are also fair game. You may have seen a newspaper story, titled “Why More and More Politicians Are Rotten to the Core.” That’s reassuring, isn’t it?

Name nearly any subject, and I can assure you most of the media are reporting something bad is happening, or about to happen, to it.

In their defense, media jobs depend on ratings and circulation; therefore, the more outrageous and salacious the stories, the better for job security, not to mention revenue for the corporate bottom line, because, let’s face it, we do watch and we do read those stories.

I don’t know about you, but I think it is time to start tuning it out. One Saturday not long ago, I decided to turn off all media—wired and wireless—for an hour, and frankly, it really felt good. The first thing I heard was the sound of silence. Then I became aware of ordinary sounds in the neighborhood: a dog barking at his owner just getting out of his car, squealing kids enjoying their bikes next door, a garage door closing, a plane flying overhead, the wind blowing in the trees. I realized I didn’t need a weather forecast to tell me spring is coming—and soon.

And then, there it was—the sound of silence. Ordinary life, wonderful life going on around me. For an hour, all was quiet and my spirit was refreshed. Next, I’m going to try it for an entire day.