Moving to a new country is like changing to a new job. To be successful, you have to understand and recognize the new culture and find a way to blend with it. I recently repatriated to the UK after living many years in Dubai. I left the UAE determined to approach my new ‘home’ with a fresh perspective and to be as neutral or non judgemental in attitude as possible.
First and foremost I promised myself that I would not discuss the weather or make derogatory comments about it. I knew that this was a tall order since the majority of the population is obsessed with this subject. However, I felt it was a necessary requirement if I was going to settle down quickly and not be emotionally affected by the ‘inconvenient’ downpours or sudden heat waves. So far it has worked miraculously well. I have avoided feeling gloom and doom every time I look out the window and have actually enjoyed the unpredictability of the weather; often pleasantly surprised by what I find and with a healthy respect for the importance of regular rainfall in keeping the grass green and the reservoirs full.
There is, however, something far more difficult to adapt to over here, because it is pervasive and that is the dark cloud of negativity and despair that the media subject us to on a daily basis. It is almost impossible to avoid the damning headlines that scream fear and hopelessness at you from the myriads of free newspapers left all over town by careless (they didn’t pay for it) and thoughtless (we might not like it but why should we bin it) commuters. It’s an almost impossible task to avoid the contamination caused by the media. Trying to stay positive and not be affected by the negative vibes is like swimming against a tide of excrement. A very unpleasant experience at best and if you manage to avoid the worst, it still leaves you feeling tainted and uncomfortable.
How powerful is the mass media in dictating our moods and ultimately our quality of life. Those proponents of free speech and a democratic government will argue that the truth hurts but it has to be faced. I would suggest that there are less painful ways to inform and that a more balanced and measured reporting style might give people hope that they have at least some control over their lives and the economy. Right now the mood in Europe smacks of a Nostradamus prediction or a Shakespearean play – “beware the ides of march”. Give us something positive to hold on to, rather than the diabolical predictions of a heap of irresponsible modern day journalists, who have to write sensational articles to justify their existence.
If I have to sit here waiting for doomsday to come at least help me to believe that I can do something about it. The feeling of the inevitable, the unavoidable causes people to believe that they really have no control over their lives and so they give up without a fight. Feeling helpless in the face of difficulty is the worse emotion. By doing nothing we simply contribute to the early arrival of the very event we wish to avoid. I am not saying that life is all good news and smelling of roses, but every cloud has a silver lining, so let’s see the situation reported from all angles and not the pernicious words of self proclaimed modern day soothsayers.
