| It is September 14, 2001 and I am sitting | | | | somefashion, even if only vicariously. So I |
| here trying tothink of something to share; | | | | gave myselfpermission, and just left the TV |
| frankly, I can't. I'm still inshock over the | | | | on.I didn't even pretendthat I was trying to |
| events of the last few days so I'm going | | | | get anything done; I just stayed gluedto the |
| tooffer this: | | | | tube to stay informed. Occasionally I had to |
| | | | remindmyself to breathe. |
| I have always maintained that TV is the | | | | |
| archenemy of thehome-based business owner | | | | I didn't get much done, but it doesn't |
| because it's so easy to getsucked-in and | | | | matter; I did whatwas most important at the |
| completely distracted. I've tried to | | | | time. After all, my country wasunder attack. |
| workwhile the TV is on, but I'm only at 50% | | | | Members of my American "family" were lost. |
| capacity at best. Isuppose that's better than | | | | |
| sitting on the couch with a bowlof popcorn, | | | | Others were heroes. The coverage of the |
| but I prefer operating at a higher level | | | | events and all ofthe incredible ramifications |
| thanthat. | | | | was nothing short of amazing. |
| | | | |
| The solution I have always recommended is to | | | | It was a monumental moment of history, and I |
| never turn on a | | | | know I did theright thing. If I had been in |
| | | | New York, I would have beenout of the house |
| TV in the first place. It's amazing how easy | | | | (or apartment) doing SOMETHING to help |
| it is to avoidplot lines when you don't know | | | | |
| what they are! That said,when there is a | | | | SOMEBODY who was more directly affected than |
| major news event I find myself in | | | | I. |
| terribleconflict; should I keep my nose to | | | | |
| the grindstone or just | | | | In reading what I just wrote, it sounds like |
| | | | I feel guiltydoesn't it? Well, I do a little |
| 'give-in' to the temptation to keep up with | | | | because I, like mostentrepreneurs, have a |
| what's going on? | | | | strong work ethic. On the other hand,we also |
| | | | need to strike a balance between our work and |
| I have found myself in this predicament | | | | otherpriorities. |
| during major eventssuch as the Columbine | | | | |
| shootings, the Northridge earthquake,the Gulf | | | | I'm in great pain because of what I saw and |
| War, and the Challenger space shuttle | | | | heard, but inretrospect I really had no |
| disaster. | | | | choice. It was simply notpossible for me to |
| | | | ignore what was happening so that I could |
| When something happens that is so | | | | |
| devastating, so traumatic,so incomprehensible | | | | "get some work done". |
| as the terrorist attacks on the World | | | | |
| | | | If it's a really important distraction, give |
| Trade Center and the Pentagon, I am not doing | | | | yourselfpermission. After all, some things |
| myself a favorby 'resisting'. I NEED to keep | | | | are just more importantthan a few hours of |
| up with the details. I NEEDto know what's | | | | work. |
| happening. I NEED to feel involved in | | | | |