Impressed

In the midst of continued news of attacks in the Middle East, I find myself seeking comic relief.  I do not wish to minimize the lethalness, or the impact of the dangers that families are facing, but I find the situation impossibly frustrating.  Having spent time in Israel on several occasions—working, as well as visiting--I know how much the average person on the street values peace.  Nothing is more frightening to me than extremist points of view.  They are deadly, offering no basis from which to negotiate.  If I were remotely capable of solving the Middle East conflict, I would use this platform to outline my solution.  There is no easy answer.  How much better the world would be if collective peace were prized more than personal ideology. 

But that will have to wait for another day, for today we live in a country where the senseless loss of life is trending behind the demise of the Twinkie.  Yes, for days now we have heard endless laments on the failure of the Hostess company—headquarters for plasticized mass-produced desserts that represent everything that is wrong with our nutritional industrial complex.  I heard a report on NPR the other day claiming that the cream filling inside a wholesome Twinkie will never, ever spoil.  Shouldn’t we, as parents, be protesting the FDA’s willingness to allow enduring inorganic compounds to infiltrate our children’s snacks?  Or are the resources of our government agencies better spent reading torrid emails?  And just when I thought front page news couldn’t sink any lower, Elmo turns out to be a pedophile.

But one story among the others caught my eye and actually made me chuckle.  McKayla Maroney, the world champion gymnast and onetime Olympic gold-medal hopeful, who failed to qualify for the all-around and then settled for the silver on the vault after an uncharacteristic bobble, was photographed with an “unimpressed” smirk on her face at the Olympic medal ceremony.  Criticized for bad sportsmanship, Maroney later explained that she was disappointed in her performance—not the medal itself.  Turning the adverse publicity around, the gymnast gave birth to a “meme” of photos of celebrities and notables mugging similar “unimpressed” expressions for the camera.  Her favorite moment: sharing the signature facial gesture with President Obama.  In fact, it was the President’s idea to contribute to her collection, explaining to McKayla that he, too, must use that expression “at least once a day.”  I was amused.

I was struck by the range and diversity of stories in this single news cycle.  President Obama was with Hillary Clinton in Myanmar just yesterday, after which Clinton flew to Israel to reiterate our nation’s unwavering support of their right to defend themselves against attacks from Gaza.  At the same time, Maroney appeared on the Today Show touting the President’s unwavering support of her “unimpressed” face.  The President then continued his Asian tour, visiting Cambodia--I imagined--with a rare and forbidden case of Twinkies, made possible because health-conscious Michelle was back home in Washington, DC with the girls.  After exchanging a few intimate emails, the Obama women were no doubt busying themselves ridding the White House of any and all remnants of Elmo.

My distraction was short-lived as  new reports indicated that attacks in Israel have become more lethal over the last few hours.  This is not without precedence; violence is often escalated when a ceasefire is near.  One can only hope and pray this will be the case.  If a restabilization is accomplished on the heels of Clinton’s visit, then I will flash a face of my own.  Call it “impressed.”