I’ve been sitting around, lying about, cogitating, ruminating, and generally living in my head this morning. Lack of sleep can be blamed. And silence is a catalyst.

What’s up and why am I bothering you with my problem?

It’s the news. The News. No specific story is the cause. It’s the whole phenomenon A story grabs our attention, The JFK Assassination, Watergate, the Iranian Hostage Crisis, AIDS, Princess Di’s auto wreck, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. The news makes us feel. Feel. We like that. And it’s a collective feeling. We all love/hate Trump together. Same as we do Biden, Hillary or Obama. We get to feel something. That is what The Daily Drama does, has done in the past, and will do tomorrow.

Did you ever stop to think that Christopher Columbus discovered a new part of Earth (for Europeans, Africans, and Asians, at least) and nobody knew anything about that discovery for years, unless they were a mariner, or merchant, or member of a European Court? There wasn’t a Nora O’Donnell or Lester Holt or Sean Hannity to tell the people that a discovery happened and what they, the people, should think/feel about it. The same could be said for the Fall of Rome, the Birth of Jesus, or the Battle of Tours. People did not know within minutes of those events happening, or years even.

But we have to know stuff, then feel happy, sad, angry, or right (smart) about our assessments. (“See, I told you this would happen.”) We follow The News for the Emotional Payoff and the self- validation of our intelligence.We need to know something New every day. And we need it to come all packaged just right. That way we can rev up the feeling machine for that feeling we need . It was like the way I operated when I was using. If I wanted a feeling I could have a glass (bottle) of wine or some reefer, or go have sex.

The News is a reminder that we aren’t dead. Yet. At least.