Thursday, October 06, 2005

Words & Pictures

I have a very different perspective of the world today since my only exposure to the news comes via words and pictures rather than from television. Violence on the television news desensitized me over time. I slowly became somewhat numb to it after continued exposure to footage from combat zones, the aftermath of terrorist attacks, and natural disasters.

My sensitivity returned the more I pulled back and refrained from watching television news altogether. Today, pictures tell me what hours of news coverage does not. Whether it is a picture of a grieving mother sitting in front of her dead children in the aftermath of the tsunami, or the distress in a homeowner's eyes after Hurricane Katrina, these pictures stay with me and are burned into my memory. Today, I don't think I could watch these scenes on television. It is enough for me only to see the pictures or read the article.

May it be Hashem's will that 5766 be a year full of blessings and a year full of happy pictures and words.

May we never again see scenes like this:

May Hashem bless all of Klal Yisroel with a year of gezunt, parnossa, and nachas!

7 Comments:

At October 6, 2005 at 10:23:00 AM EDT, Blogger MC Aryeh said...

Amen. I think we forget how powerful images really are. I remember when I went to yeshiva in Israel, I decided to take a break from all media. Six months later, a friend convinced me to go to a movie. I had become so sensitized, that the violence and disturbing scenarios of the movie were shocking. The images stayed with me for weeks. Though the film was technically very good, I realized that my neshama didn't need to be exposed to that...

 
At October 6, 2005 at 10:42:00 AM EDT, Blogger A Simple Jew said...

MCAryeh: Do you find that you limit your exposure to it today because of this experience?

 
At October 6, 2005 at 11:33:00 AM EDT, Blogger Jameel @ The Muqata said...

May we be zocheh for a year of rebuilding and renewal.

 
At October 6, 2005 at 12:20:00 PM EDT, Blogger A Simple Jew said...

Amen!

 
At October 6, 2005 at 12:43:00 PM EDT, Blogger MC Aryeh said...

I do limit my exposure, partly because of that experience and partly just as an evolution of thought. I have not seen a newscast in years, can count on one hand the number of films I have seen in theaters in the past six years (though I do have a major tai'va for them), and generally try to avoid Times Square (talk about sensory overload!). Have not worked out my relationship with the internet yet, though.

 
At October 6, 2005 at 7:57:00 PM EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

may hashem yemaleh kol mishalosecha letova.may hashem grant ayear of osher and ashirus.may you continue to represent the ehrlicher ,tamim Jew
that you are.

 
At October 7, 2005 at 6:39:00 AM EDT, Blogger A Simple Jew said...

daat y: Thank you for the brocha! May Hashem bless you and your family as well with all good things!

 

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