Empathy Overload

When does one cross the line between empathy overload and desensitivity? I think I've crossed it. What has happened in Haiti is horrible, devastating, tragic. No one would wish such a fate on anyone else, not even one's worst enemy. But the news is nonstop. There is no relief in sight, apparently. Even though relief aid is pouring into the earthquake-ravaged island, those of us who would like to see something on the evening news OTHER than more coverage of Haiti (or, at the least, in ADDITION to the coverage of Haiti) have no respite.

The coverage is nonstop on national news. It's nonstop on local news. It's nonstop even on the Weather Channel. I half expect to find solicitations for donations popping up on the Home and Garden channels any second now. And it's not that I don't care. That's the problem. It hurts. It causes me agony to see the agony on the news, and after a while, I develop a "scab" that causes me to stop feeling so much of the agony.

So now I myself will stop talking about it and move on to other things. I had a great first week of classes. I'm really, really enjoying my Women's Studies class and can hardly wait to meet with them each Tuesday and Thursday. And I find myself, to my surprise, even enjoying the Advanced Comp for Pharmacy Students. It helps that I have only 35 students in those two classes, and we're going to get a lot of work done, as well as great discussion.

We're actually having a warming trend. Here in Michigan, that doesn't actually mean warm weather. It just means that we're slightly above freezing during the daylight hours. Slush abounds, and it's ugly, dirty, and disgusting. The wind blowing causes it to seem just as cold as before, so the heavy overcoats are still in constant use.

I just spent a couple of minutes talking to my mother-in-law on the phone. She says it's raining nonstop in Louisiana, which, of course, is what it does in the winter in my home state. The rain and gloom there in winter used to cause me to suffer as much with SAD as the long winter season does here in the Great White North.

The Esteemed Spouse and I are enjoying watching golf this weekend since it's being played on Oahu, in Honolulu, which is where we'll be staying in just a few weeks! I do hope we don't get trapped in one of their rainy cycles because I really, really want to see sunshine and feel warmth for a few days. It's just going to be nearly unbearable to return from that balmy place.

Guess I'd better get busy. With my schedule this semester, I will not be able to goof off all weekend, though I did some goofing yesterday. I had a check-up at 9 a.m. and afterwards I went to Hobby Lobby and Michael's Arts and Crafts to get yarn and some doll stands. I've added to my Wizard of Oz Barbie doll collection again. :-) I have got to figure out a way to wrap a class around that book and movie.

Follow the yellow brick road. Follow, follow, follow, follow....