What I’m Doing Instead of Thinking About the Mueller Report

I do not care about the Mueller report. At least not in the way the media THINKS that I care about it. In the years since Trump took office I have seen plenty of evidence that our POTUS has been corrupt and untrustworthy and I have never had any sort of “If Collusion Then…” and “If No Collusion Then…” in my mind that decide whether or not I would consider him Good or Bad. I have seen plenty of things he has said and done and ways he’s legislated to keep him in the “Bad” category for me and the Mueller report is not going to change that. In the end, I decided, I will wait to see if criminal charges are brought up against him – AFTER he’s out of office (because we know it won’t happen while he’s in office) – and I’ll just keep trucking on with issues that are important to me right now.

(Like trying to support efforts – both charitable and legislative – to get Truvada/PrEP in desperate communities. Two great recent articles about this issue: 1) This HIV pill saves lives. So why is it so hard to get in the Deep South? and 2) Trump Plans to End the AIDS Epidemic. In Places Like Mississippi, Obstacles Are Everywhere. In North Alabama we have a group called THRIVE ALABAMA which is instrumental in helping tackle these issues.)

The only problem is – EVERYONE IN THE WORLD IS TALKING ABOUT THE MUELLER REPORT. The second I got the news alerts that it was turned in, it was all I saw on Twitter and Facebook and it was in the title of all of my podcasts over the weekend and through Monday.

So I decided I’m going on news media blackout for awhile.

I took Facebook and Twitter off my phone which means the only “social” I have on my phone is Instagram. I then set my limit to THAT for an hour a day so that I don’t mindlessly fill my time there without any other options. I also blacklisted the websites of Facebook and Twitter so I can’t get to them through Safari which is often how I cheat the system when I’m trying to curb my social media usage. This is what my yesterday looked like:

I also went through my podcast “library” on the “episode” view which shows all of the recent episodes of all of your podcasts from newest to oldest. Usually every day there’s several news/political podcasts on that list but I went through yesterday morning and just cleared all of them from the last few days. I did it again this morning. This has been nice because as I’m doing housework or yard work and listening to podcasts in the list it’s all just informative or humorous or thought-provoking and NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT THE MUELLER REPORT.

It’s also nice because I’m able to catch up on some of the podcasts I’ve been neglecting to keep up with the stupid news and politics of the day.

So between my Spring Break detachment from a lot of the internet and then my news moratorium that started last Friday, I have been SO OUT OF THE LOOP. I have the internet nanny on my laptop that keeps me away from Facebook and Twitter most of the time, but I have popped in a few times when I have something I want to crowdsource or a cute story or something I want to tell. But for the most part? I’m clueless for the first time in YEARS and it is EXACTLY the self-care I needed right now.

Some of the things I’ve enjoyed over the last few days instead of endless coverage and commentary of the Mueller report?

1. This episode of 99% Invisible about Social Infrastructure. If you love libraries and parks? This is a MUST LISTEN.
2. The Magicians. AGAIN. I’ve been re-watching The Magicians on Netflix because there are a few references in this new season that have gone over my head and I’m remembering all over again HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS SHOW. It’s definitely more profain than the shows I normally watch on The CW, but they do it SO WELL that I almost love the show BECAUSE of it. If I could curse like Margo curses I would curse ALL OF THE TIME. And in real time this week’s episode is going to be another musical one and I CAN NOT WAIT.
3. This Might Get Weird with Grace Helbig and Mamrie Hart. I’ve been following these ladies for YEARS and while sometimes the podcast is a little too-much industry shop talk and chats about drunkendness, these girls are HILARIOUS and I love just keeping it on the background because they are self-deprecating and sincere and they just make me laugh so much sometimes.
4. Hiking. I know, that’s not something you can all do for self-care but we moved into a house near TWO great trailheads and I’ve been taking advantage of it in SPADES lately. I’m not going to be doing any sort of Reese Witherspoon journey anytime soon, but I love setting out on the trails behind my house for an hour a day.
5. The most recent episode of Dear Hank and John. It is – by far – one of my favorite podcasts but this week’s was especially hilarious for some reason.
6. YOGA. I still feel very much a newbie but I’m getting stronger and more flexible and I can feel the changes in my body and I am really learning to love it. I’ve been hitting up all of the free classes around town and some of the “Yoga and Beer” classes in different taprooms. Then I also joined a local yoga studio where I can buy packages of classes and some of those have kicked my ass but in SUCH a good way. I EVEN BOUGHT A FANCY YOGA MAT. There’s no stopping me now.

So those are the things that have been sustaining me since the Mueller Report came out. The first morning I look at my list of news podcasts and none of them have a title with the word “Mueller” in it – then I might think it’s safe to join the internet without filters again. Until then it’s time in the woods, yoga, and podcasts that make me smile.