“Find Your Sanity Amidst Bad News”

At a time when orchestras are branching out into non-traditional mission related activity, it’s important to remember that regardless of how much some of those efforts mean, they shouldn’t degrade traditional efforts.

To that end, it always helps staying grounded with something like the following letter to the editor by Mary C. Caliandro was published in the 9/15/2015 edition of the Chattanooga Times Free Press (h/t Holly Mulcahy).

mFind your sanity amidst bad news

I have been asking myself a question lately in the face of overwhelmingly bad news recently.

I read in your paper about shootings in Charleston, S.C., Chattanooga, etc. Our elected officials are threatening to shut down the government if they don’t get their way. Presidential candidates have zero tolerance for diversity. Television news tries very hard to get you to say, “Oh my God!” every minute of every day. Court clerks take the law into their own hands.

My question for fellow readers is, “How does one stay sane in the face of all this insanity?”

Here is what I did after I had had enough: I turned off all media and turned on a CD of soothing music. Then I went outside to pull weeds. I bought season tickets to the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera so I have something beautiful to look forward to.

By taking the time to care for and love myself I am better able to face the world and make it a better place. Perhaps if mental health were the goal instead of “my way or the highway,” we would have a healthier America.

Mary C. Caliandro, Ooltewah