The revolution is not being televised

One thing I notice in the U.S. is the prevalence of loud TV monitors. Doctor's offices. Bars. Car dealers. Gas stations. Supermarket checkouts.

They don't do that in Ireland. You are not subjected to overly animated women's overly loud voices at moments when a bit of quiet will do nicely, thank you. I think in Ireland there's an assumption that people would rather talk to each other than sit mute before the TV gods. And people would rather talk. And it's very nice.

U.S. doctor's waiting room: A woman on TV is demonstrating some type of exercise equipment and hyperventilating about its merits while the newscasters cheer her on. Patients sit quietly waiting to be called as the chorus rises and falls.

Doctor's waiting room in Bangor: No TV. No ads for drugs to ask your doctor about. Posters warning you not to ask for antibiotics for cold and cough because you are contributing to drug resistance. People tend to arrive in pairs. Women and young children. Older women with their mothers or fathers. Couples. Each pair speaks quietly to each other.

When people in Ulster tell me they would love to live in America, I tell them I find America stressful. Being bombarded by marketing is one reason why. The isolation that comes with a hyper-consumer oriented culture is another. The large proportion of people working 30-35 hours a week for minimum wage with no health care is another. Long commutes on congested roads surrounded by aggressive drivers doesn't help.

I leave tomorrow for Belfast and I will be glad to reset my clock five hours forward and a paradigm shift backward.
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