These past few days have been beyond heartbreaking. Once again, our nation turns tear-stained faces to New York City, to Brooklyn, and wrap the grieving in love.
The airwaves are filled with stories about the shootings. None of them are uplifting - not possible. Not the sort of television you want ablaze around any friends & loved ones, especially the elderly. Yet it is glaring out - usually set on a news network - from the still blazing television monitors in a grannie client's senior residence pubic areas.
As a casual visitor, I can't avoid it. Imagine for a moment how it affects the residents.
Here's the thing about the monitors. First, they draw your eye. Even when you don't want to look, the lights & action beckon your attention. But all you're doing is looking - even if the sound was up (which it usually isn't), you'd be looking at it usually for no more than a minute, tops. Usually, it's a matter of seconds. But, ah in those few seconds... EVERYTHING on the screen registers in the brain, triggers countless reactions that linger long after you've moved on. All stimulation reaction angst & basically NO information of any value. Our physical being typically feels attacked, while our feelings go into overdrive.
Come on, this we know this - we all know it. On several occasions, I've done a body scan on Saturday morning, when the screens are all a'blazing, and on Sunday, when they are either usually off or turned to a music station. Night & day difference. When the monitors are on, my breathing becomes shallower, my heart rate zips upward, my sense of attentiveness dullens. Imagine if I was there for longer than walking through to meet my grannie client!
Now, imagine all this happening over the December holidays, when a debilitating sense of depression is as common among the elderly as tinsel or menorahs. The prevalence of those intrusive glaring monitors tuned to MSNBC, CNN, (usually) Fox, during these heartbreaking days gives more than pause. It's flat-out chilling.
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