 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
A River Named Denial
Linda Goin
|
 Archives |
Now that summer vacation is here, Cora has more time to harass me with questions for which I have no answers. Unfortunately, she's a bit too old, or I'd send her searching for bugs outside. Her questions are about terrorism and threats of war, nuclear power, global warming, and - nightmare of nightmares - the possibility of germ warfare.
The questions begin with too much television and end with a child's wild imagination. I often forget how mesmerized and frightened I was at Cora's age with news reports of the cold war with Cuba, with the Vietnam War, and threats of nuclear retaliations. Come to think of it, perhaps I haven't grown up at all. The only difference between my childhood and my adulthood is I've learned to numb myself to the constant media, and to float down a lovely river named Denial.
My first reaction to my daughter's fears was to rent five inane movies and buy enough popcorn to fill an elephant. We stayed up till the wee hours and slept in till lunch. This act of decadence didn't resolve any issues. We both were off-kilter the next day, the house smelled like burnt popcorn, and Cora still had her questions.
The second thought was to tackle the issues head on. Maybe if I told her about some of the worst battles of the Civil War or the torture devices used during the Spanish Inquisition, today's fiascos might not look so horrible. I realized, of course, this plan of action would trivialize her fears and the fact her fears are based on possible realities. There's no comparison to what our children hear and see today. There's no blueprint to help us, as parents, cope with the possibilities of our children's worst nightmares.
The only answer is to stash the boat and make kindling out of the oars. Denial is not the route I need to travel if I want my daughter to live a full life, free of fear, yet smart enough to understand she needs to stand guard against harm on a constant basis. The "smart" part comes with education.
Critical thinking is beyond the comprehension of most children, but if we simplify the basic skills we can teach them how to cope. The first step is to learn to read and listen carefully. "Time Out" to understand what someone just said, or to comprehend the words we just read, is essential. When Cora becomes upset over a news story or with a point of view rendered by a teacher or peer, we talk about 'reading between the lines,' to discover the real issue behind the story.
For instance: the news this past week was about a downturn in stocks due to what newsmakers said were losses in chipmakers, wireless, biotech and networking stocks. That wasn't enough to lead the market into a nosedive, however. The media added worries about global tensions as a factor in investor retreats. Let's take these charges apart and see what the story is behind the story...
First, the sectors mentioned were in technology, including biotech. This leaves a large number of sectors that weren't affected. Yes, the market took a nosedive, and the news that many companies in these sectors won't see a profit is part of this package. However, it's also old news. Technology has taken a beating for almost two years. In spite of this history, many tech stocks are doing just fine. The stories on the successful stocks are not on page one, however.
Not noted in the story is the "herd instinct" factor mentioned in this column a few months ago. When one stock tumbles, others often follow. Nasdaq is a huge keeper of tech stocks, so this index will crash and burn on bad news from this sector. Other indexes will follow, if only for the interim. Shaky, shaky. It's basic biology - when humans breathe out, air pressure in the lungs rises. To decrease the pressure, one must inhale. When buyers tumble out of the market the pressure goes up, and it won't go down again until buyers re-enter the market.
The next charge from media concerning stock declines is the threat of terrorism and unrest overseas. Not mentioned in some stories was the rise in defense stocks and in gold. Gold has historically been the defense on a declining dollar, and defense stocks are a no-brainer. I'm not suggesting you run out and invest large amounts in defense contractors and gold. The point is you won't need to hunt for stories about the uptake on defense stocks or gold - the story is there, right between those black lines of ink.
Reading between the lines is not an exercise in diluting realities. However, when a child (or an adult for that matter...) understands the implications in a story, anxieties often go down a notch.
Cora now wants to know if the media ran front-page stories on the benefits of amusement parks or alternative energy, would those sectors rise? Hard to tell, daughter of mine. I doubt we'll ever see the media lead us into a world of amusement and alternatives to violence and abuse. The trick is to listen and read carefully, don't panic, and watch the herd so you don't get run over.
Critical thinking burns a lot of energy. It's ok to rent a mindless movie and gobble down a bag of popcorn occasionally. After all, two hours away from the world is like dipping the toes in Denial River. Sometimes, a little swim is good for the soul.
Until next week,
Linda Goin
|
The BUYandHOLD website contains links to third-party websites on the Internet. BUYandHOLD provides these links to these websites only as a convenience to users of the website. Links on the BUYandHOLD website are not endorsements by BUYandHOLD or Freedom Investments, implied or express, of the linked sites or any products, services or links in such sites; and no information in such sites has been endorsed or approved by BUYandHOLD. Linked sites are not under the control of BUYandHOLD or Freedom Investments, and we are not responsible for the contents of any linked site or any link contained in a linked site. No information contained in the BUYandHOLD website or accessed through any linked site, or any link contained in a linked site, constitutes a recommendation by BUYandHOLD or Freedom Investments to buy, sell or hold any security, financial product or instrument. Information accessed through linked sites is not, nor should be construed as, an offer or a solicitation of an offer, to buy or sell securities by BUYandHOLD or Freedom Investments. BUYandHOLD does not offer or provide any investment advice or opinion regarding the nature, potential, value, suitability or profitability of any particular security, portfolio of securities, transaction or investment strategy, and any investment decisions you make will be based solely on your evaluation of your financial circumstances, investment objectives, risk tolerance, and liquidity needs.
Copyright
© 1999 – 2008 Freedom Investments. All Rights Reserved.
Freedom Investments, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC
Privacy & Security
|
|
|
