Confessions of a new dad, vol. 26: Must NOT-See TV

I've never been a big fan of TV news pieces or articles that deal with misfortune involving children. Kidnapping, child abuse, inspirational yet depressing stories of children dealing with terminal illness- not my cup of tea. If I happened to be watching a program and one came on, I might watch some of it- but I would never go out of my to watch or read these stories or seek them out in any way. (I know you are are thinking, Who does? Plenty of people, although they may not admit it, love watching that heart-wrenching real life drama stuff. Maybe they like a good cry, maybe they watch to make themselves feel better about where they're at- but they are out there. I know this, because that's why you see stories like this abound- TV producers and/or news editors know their audiences.)

Now that I have a little girl- who has, like all children do I suppose, become the center of my universe- I can't even bear to peek at this stuff. The second something like this comes on the screen I will change the channel- can't do it. My neuroses about the health and well-being of my child don't need any help going to dark places, thank you very much. Having been in the hospital with my little girl for a non-life threatening situation was difficult enough, let alone imagining the struggle that the parents and children involved in these tragedies must go through. I don't want to think about it!

I know sticking my head in the sand doesn't make the ills of the world disappear as it concerns my daughter. But it's not so much putting on rose-colored glasses as it is not inviting any more stress and worry than is already there to begin with. More like sweeping it under the carpet. I know it's there, but I don't have think about it, or deal with it. Out of sight, out of... well, never completely out of mind- but maybe it gives me a fighting chance to keep it in the way back of my mind.