Dear Friends:
Today,
I find the television new s most discouraging and disgusting at times. Never any
good new s. It is always tragedy, trauma,
domestic mayhem, or natural disasters. Seems like never any good new s. I long
for the old days, remembered by some, w hen World War II commentator Gabriel Heater
began his broadcasts with, “There is good news today.” Would it were true
now . How often do you see a newscast interrupted with CBS, NBC, ABC/CNN
news break, “Good news for America”?
By
contrast, I am always entertained by watching the birds feed on the patio. I
notice their pecking order, the species of
birds that arrive and at what time. In fact, the whole “micro menagerie”
is fascinating. It begins with the sparrows, chickadees, and a scattering of red
finches. Then an occasional mourning dove and, rarely, a woodpecker. From time
to time a field mouse will poke his head out of a brick sanctuary surrounding a
bright yellow flower bed. You get to see the birds arrive at certain times, feed
with abandon and then scatter once again, only to return. They are always
entertaining and relaxing.
Today,
the news is painfully drawn to horror and suffering, a sort of penance in life,
I guess. I personally limit myself to
about one hour of this repetitive and unsettling commentary about the decadent
trends that have beset mankind.
But the birds are an uplifting alternative. They are reliable, entertaining, and
just plain fun.
Forget the news– it’s for the birds!
I'll be in touch next month.
Your friend,
Thomas Petty, MD
Professor of Medicine,
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
President,
Snowdrift Pulmonary Conference
