email38.xml

email38.xml

born-digital

email

unknown

yes

2002-03-01

Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2001 12:01:22 -0400
To: XXX
From: XXX
Subject: HOW NOT TO GO MAD AFTER 9/11

I want to share with you the the rules currently governing my own computer and household. I rather like them. They don't entirely wipe out my fears, but cut down on ambient panic by a TON.

first, and most important, close your browser. really. cnn is trying as hard as it can to scare you so you'll stay tuned in. if you must get news, get it from salon.com. they are as quick as CNN--and much smarter-- but there are no big red banners, pcitures of guys in gas masks, or pictures of villains. they simply list the headlines and you can click if you would like to read.

second, do not turn on then nightly news--or if you must, give yourself a strict 60 second time limit. all you really need to know is, am i in imminent danger. if you turn on the TV and don't see flames or other hysteria, turn it off. you will never look back on your life and wish you had watched more network news.

third, keep away from the NY Times. if you crave a newspaper experience, keep only the travel, arts, style, science, and dining out sections. throw the rest straight into the recycling bin without even glancing at it.

in the place of all of this news input, buy travel magazines. Travel and Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler are great escapism. buy the newest martha stewart weddings. read the winners of the CAKE fantasy contest on line.

recognize that you only need one credible source of news. i realised that every time i hear the same piece of news from a different outlet I feel worse. it makes the news feel cumulative, and it isn't. in truth, not much is happening (unless you live in Afghanistan). they arrest a few people, they talk of strategy, they clean up the wreckage. they speculate. none of these have anything to do with me.

fourth, spend as much time out of your house as is comfortable. make dinner and eat it on the roof deck. walk in Riverside park. eat mounds of gooey desserts at cafes.

fifth, don't have conversations that center around speculation. don't sit on your couch and think about geopolitics. don't second guess the propaganda (as in 'is ashcroft trying to scare us with gloom and doom so he can pass the "Suspension of Civil Liberties Act of 2001, AKA What Republicans Have Been Wanting for Years"). don't think about what advice you would give to George Bush if he were listening. don't spend more than 5 minutes talking with loved ones about the latest developments--if you find yourself doing this, ask these questions: does this conversation make me feel better right now?, and, is this productive? am i going to, in this conversation, happen upon an idea that will save the nation? if the answer is no, change the subject or be quiet.

follow these rules very strictly. follow them even when you really don't want to. and if you're really good, go to the gym for just half an hour--not to lose weight or get stronger, but to rid your body of the adrenaline that upsets your stomach, raises your blood pressure, and grays your hair.


anyway, I get off work around 6. it's lovely out.

love you--i hope this helps in the short term, at least

15 Oct 2001 12:01:22 -0400

How Not to go Mad after 9/11