Does anyone still watch TV news? First, the broadcasts are full of nothing but disaster; nothing is accomplished anywhere unless it is an increase in aggressive populism, crime rates, failure in the ecosystem, threatened democracy or the gathering of war clouds. Second, the news is targeted and skewed to attract and sustain certain types of viewers; consequently news is soaked in criticism, drama and biased speculation. ‘News’ must be redefined to mean, as Joe Friday said, “All we want is the facts, Ma’am.”

Even more destructive is that society now gets its ‘facts’ from social media.

So, in November it is a good time to return to hibernation in the home. The colder weather turns one’s mind to inside hobbies and events – something like the string of fall and winter holidays or making some hearty soups and casseroles. With the weather changing, it is time to bake rather than grill.

It may be a good time to put down the smart phone and pursue old fashioned hobbies like knitting or repairing that wobbly chair. One task that is always needed is to clean out the filing cabinets, closets and the garage. A chore mariner faces is to paint and refurbish lawn furniture. How many years has it been since the lawn mower blades have been sharpened? It’s a good time to paint that back hall. Visit family you haven’t seen for a while.

The point is this: Everyone, rich or poor, young or old, smart or dumb or any race – needs to refocus on the self; society is unstable and not much comfort to the self. The trick is to occupy one’s time doing things on a firsthand basis, doing something where you determine a successful outcome all by yourself! Mariner likes the analogy of a bear preparing for the winter: eat well, make a comfortable place for yourself and stay in for the winter.

Perhaps your sanity and scruples will be better prepared for next spring . . .

Ancient Mariner