The antidote to pop culture monotony...

A solid, comfortable, restful night's sleep.  Waking up and finding sun pouring in through all the windows; opening those windows, lifting the blinds and filling the rooms with natural light.  Cold orange juice; a fresh blueberry muffin and banana and a strong, hot cup of coffee.  Immediately, it's a welcome array of tastes and scents that lift my spirits in an instant start to my day.

This was yesterday morning; today has started in the same fashion.  It's a good feeling.  I've turned off the news, save for the weather report (and the meteorologist is hopelessly irritating) because at this point, it's all the same.  Biased and false narratives, half-told stories and fanning the flames of the social psychosis that has set in is of no interest to me.  News outlets on both sides have their agendas and the target audiences are lapping it up wholesale.  And I just don't care.  I am not investing any time or energy into the dictated cause-celebre.  I feel good; I feel healthy - and that's all that matters to me.

I'm also stepping away for a breather from social media.  I'm not shutting down my Facebook account, since I use it as a means of sharing the pieces I write for MusicTAP and Popdose; I just won't read anyone's "impassioned" posts of nonsense.  I'm not a user, per se, of Instagram - it's instant silliness - so I won't be checking it, either.  Twitter is a clusterfuck of insanity and illiteracy (can adults no longer spell?) - no time or desire for it.  And suddenly, the cobwebs have cleared exponentially.  Why?  Because it's really not important or relevant; not at all.  Do I care about my friends' opinions?  Yes, when it's in conversation, not on Facebook.  Just as I don't like having my Facebook page being policed by friends.  That's where I draw the line.  So...  time away from the lunacy only serves as a positive to me.  It's back to living real life, even while we're still a few weeks away from New York City "reopening".  I only wish I'd imparted this common sense train of thought a little sooner.

Here's a helpful hint - if you like toast as part of your breakfast, 12- or 15-grain bread with any fruit spread is the best way to start things off before your begin your work morning!