It’s my fourth week of “Taking Back Tuesday,” so I’ve decided to institute a little media blackout this evening for the sake of my own mental and emotional wellbeing.  I’ve been catching myself watching way too much evening news coverage, both local and national broadcasts AND a perpetual refreshing of mobile CNN and the Pittsburgh Post Gazette online, and I think I need to shut it down.

(By the way, “SHUT IT DOWN” is my new favorite saying.  I picked it up from the boys on Gold Rush.  All those clueless men alone in Alaska without the careful supervision of their wives, they were always shutting down their operation for one reason or another.  I’m just surprised their wives didn’t “SHUT IT DOWN” before the jackasses got started on their testosterone fueled adventure.  Maybe they were just happy to have them the hell out of the house for a few months.)

Focus, Molly, focus.                                                                                  

I’m shutting it down tonight because the evening news is a big, fat 6:00 p.m. buzz kill.  I am unable to detach myself from the trauma, tragedy, travesty, and the triviality of the goings on of others.  It takes me away from my own locus of control, and from those that I love and care for.

I’m shutting it down tonight, because I find myself wanted to adopt every neglected and abused man, woman, child, and animal that flashes across my screen.  I am not a Hollywood starlet, or even a Pittsburgh starlet, so large scale adoptions are not quite in my financial portfolio…

Because I don’t HAVE a financial portfolio.

I’m shutting it down tonight because I talk about people I don’t even know wAAAAAAAAAAAy too much.

I’m shutting it down tonight because, unfortunately, tomorrow night will bring a whole new trail of tragedy that I cannot control.

I’m shutting it down because that which I can control is calling for my attention, and tonight I’m going to answer.

SHUT IT DOWN.