I refuse to let war be the only thing in my head. I see too many people who are so caught up in the war that they can't talk about anything but the rhetoric the media is pouring into them. I know people who can't sleep, who can't eat, who have continuous nightmares about bombs and carnage. They are so worried about what is going on that their lives have become all war, all the time. And because they are hearing and seeing nothing but war, they can talk about nothing but war. These people have no alternative to discussing (and argueing about) the war with others. They don't know about the latest sports games or the newest reality show. They haven't noticed the weather or read that really good book or seen that really funny movie. The war has claimed their lives and taken over their minds.

I am greatful that my co-workers, my friends, and my family are not suffering in this way. They know what is going on, they have their opinions and thoughts and fears, but none of them have given up their daily lives to sit, watching the scrolling bar on CNN hour after hour. This means that when the political discussions get a little warm we always have something else to talk about. No one hates anyone else, no one gets into a shouting match or throws chairs. Everyone is free to have their beliefs and when those beliefs butt heads too strongly, we have alternatives to discuss. I am not going to lose friends or family ties because of this war. I am not going to let my life be a casualty of the media war.