Navigating a Whackadoodle World: Guidepost Four, or the Power of Focus and Attention
Past and present links to our episodes on Guidepost Four: The Power of Focus and Attention.
“I know what I want to say to introduce Guidepost Four: The Power of Focus,” she told me as soon as she sat down. “I want to talk about how the News Media needs to change its focus.”
I couldn’t help myself. I just started laughing.
“What’s so funny?” she sounded indignant.
“Your wanting to discuss the News Media’s focus,” I confessed between snickers. “I mean, talk about focusing on stuff you can’t control or influence.” She frowned at me until I finally stopped. “Okay, I’m sorry, but the incongruity of focusing on how the Media needs to change its focus just hit me.”
“Glad I could entertain you,” she said tightly.
I nearly laughed again, but managed to sincerely ask, “So in what way does the News Media need to change its focus?”
She looked at me carefully before answering, as if gauging whether or not I was ready to take her seriously. “It needs to stop talking endlessly about one-top-story as if nothing else on the planet was happening. Whenever something big happens, they spend the entire hour of every show on that one story, bringing in expert after expert, and endlessly repeating themselves. Ignoring everything else on the planet. They even forget about following up on their own previous top stories. One week it’s nothing but the Ukrainian invasion. Then they have a week of mass shootings and gun violence. Next it’s nothing but the Trump trials. The following week it’s nothing but the dysfunctional Congress. This week, it’s all about the Middle East conflicts. It’s kind of driving me crazy.”
“I get it, and I hear you.” I nodded. “I still remember back in 1994, when O.J. Simpson had himself a little car chase, and all the network stations cancelled regular programing for hours in order to treat the entire nation to images of a fleet of black-and-white police cars pursuing a white Ford Bronco along Interstate 405 in Los Angeles, California. Talk about mind numbing.” I took a deep breath, and asked. “Do you get why I was laughing?”
“Yeah,” she admitted frowning. “I think so.”
“Why was I laughing?”
“Because I shouldn’t be letting the News Media’s focus determine my focus.” She was practically rolling her eyes as she said it. “That I should work on controlling my own focus and not be so distracted by the focus of others.”
“There’s that annoying should again,” I teased. “What do you think that means?”
She sent me a dirty look. “I think it means that it’s time to post this weeks episodes on Guidepost Four: The Power of Focus,” she informed me bluntly, and then did.
Navigating a Whackadoodle World: Episode Four
“I think that I finally realize why Facebook is so addictive,” I told her near the end of our tutoring session. “How's that?” she said looking up from her books. “I thought that we've already have written about Social Media addiction. Isn't it the algorithms?”
Navigating A Whackadoodle World: Episode 18, or Are They Trying to Keep Us Stupid?
“I’ve been thinking a lot about last time when we talked about why schools teach the way they do, and something has been really bothering me,” she said as she sat down across from me."
For those of you who have already read the above episodes, here is a link to our newest episode on the Power of Focus and Attention.
Navigating a Whackadoodle World: Episode 33, or You can't change what you don’t notice.
“I’m not sure if I like polls,” she said unexpectedly during one of our lessons.
“What kind of poles do you mean?” I asked. “Polish Pols, telephone poles, magnetic poles, utility poles?
“Check the spelling, and you won’t ask silly questions,” she informed me dryly.
“Okay, we have posted our links,” she said. “Now we remind people that if they know someone who could use the guideposts, they can share this post with a friend.” She was almost smiling as she posted the link.
“And for our fun quick post?” I asked.
“I picked last time. You pick this time.”
“Earlier, we were talking about how the News Media influences our focus. How about we include a short piece about the Internet?”
“If that’s your pick,” she replied and posted it.
