I used to read the newspaper every day.
Then I switched to watching the news on TV.
After that, I started reading the news online.
Now I don’t read the news at all.
When I stopped reading the news, I didn’t lose anything.
The news was always the same—
wars, killings, rape, torture, accidents, coups, and so on.
Reading or watching the news depressed me.
In the morning, I took a walk in the garden and around the farm.
I noticed new plants blooming, birds building nests,
honeybees, butterflies, and sunbirds drinking nectar
from flowers and pollinating them.
The sunbird in the nest had laid eggs that looked like marbles.
The bulbul’s eggs hatched, and the two chicks were always hungry.
The parents were struggling valiantly to feed them.
The atmosphere was full of happy sounds and scenes.
I saw plants in the vegetable garden bearing fruit.
I saw squirrels stealing fruit from the rambutan tree.
There were leftover fruits eaten and discarded by bats and raccoons.
I saw rabbits digging up the carrots and eating them.
After the walk, I returned home and told my family the news.
They were happy to hear it and went out to see for themselves.
I wish the newspapers were full of happy stories.
but I know that my wish will not be fulfilled.
