When I was a boy, television commercials promised a remedy for something called “tired blood.” If you were worn out, sluggish or simply tired of being tired, Geritol was supposed to put the spring back in your step.
Lately, I have wondered whether tired blood has made a national comeback.
Turn on the news and the prescription almost writes itself: war in the Middle East, families displaced, oil and diesel prices under pressure, interest rates rising again, and Washington still filled with people talking past one another. Add the daily parade of warnings, arguments and outrage, and even a healthy person can feel exhausted before breakfast.
We should pay attention to serious events. But staying informed does not require allowing every headline to move into the spare bedroom of our minds.
So I tried a different remedy. I stepped outside, took a walk and enjoyed the sky. As a longtime martial artist, I added a few gentle punches and kicks—nothing worthy of a championship belt, but enough to remind my body that it still knows how to move. Then I opened my iPad and visited some old friends: Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Garfield.
Garfield, as usual, recommended a nap. For once, I followed expert advice.
The problems in the world were still there when I woke up. But they no longer seemed to be sitting directly on my shoulders. A little movement, fresh air, laughter and rest had done what another hour of news could not.
Perhaps that is the modern cure for tired blood: stay informed, but know when to turn the noise off. Take a walk. Call someone you enjoy. Read the funnies. And, when necessary, take Garfield’s advice.
Sometimes the simplest medicine is still the best.
Take my advice for what it is—it’s just as I see it.
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