They are the very definition of paradise - no shoes, no phones, no devices, no news, no interruptions.
In paradise, you are free to lie in a hammock under a coconut tree or swim in the aquamarine sea.
In short, nothing to distract you from being with yourself.
But paradise ain't perfect. And imagine how paradise could be spoiled if the imperfections were revealed...
Imagine that the Brothers Cay, in the southern part of the Caribbean off the coast of Colombia, was named for brothers who die in unfortunate circumstances.
The first brother dies as a young boy, a mere toddler killed by a falling coconut. The island mourns his untimely death for many weeks. This is followed by stress and angst for months as parents and elders discourage everyone from lingering under dangerous coconut trees.
After a year or so however, the sad memories fade and life returns to normal. People stop stressing and return to the allure of relaxing and playing in the shade of coconut trees. The idyllic life in paradise is restored.
Then, about twenty-some years after the death of this toddler, an older brother, a well-respected young man, is killed in a shark attack while swimming in the aquamarine blue sea.
Weeks of mourning follow for the beloved man taken in such unfortunate circumstances. For months after his death, the villagers are extremely vigilant, and everyone is discouraged from entering the water so as to avoid another shark attack loss.
After a year or so, the bad memory fades, and life returns to normal. People began swimming and frolicking in the aquamarine blue seas again. Paradise is re-found.
So paradise is perfect, but only when the threat of unprovoked attacks by coconuts and sharks present on all the inhabited islands of the Caribbean are out of mind.
So what happens in paradise after the launch of CNN (Caribbean News Network)?
News networks are like the tree of knowledge in our modern paradise. Vast numbers of people within the 7000+ islands making up the Carribbean eagerly sign up as subscribers to eat the fruit.
However, the good stories are not that interesting: the weather is gorgeous, the food is delicious, the water is delightful, and the people laugh and play.
If you have seen one paradise, you have seen them all. This is not news.
What is news is when things go wrong. Tragic events are great news.
With tragic deaths (whether by coconut or shark attack or other misfortune) occurring about once in every 20 to 25 years on any given island, and 7000 plus islands in the Caribbean, CNN has over 300 news stories about untimely deaths in paradise every year.
Paradise loses its pearly lustre when
CNN publishes one horror story per day.
CNN is a typhoon Mary spreading unhappy stories of catastrophe through paradise.
Paradise with a news network is not a paradise. Everyone on all islands is constantly alerted to the risks they face lingering under coconut trees and swimming in the aquamarine blue sea. So they don't, and people become stressed, depressed, fearful, frightened, concerned, worried, scared and unhappy.
The people living in paradise dream of a vacation to get away from it all.
In paradise, there is no news. Not because there are no stories, but because ignorance is idyllic. No news is good.
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Extra Reading
We have a seriously biased view of the state of the world because media outlets highlight horror stories from around the world, and are constantly updating and adding new tragedies within the 24 hour news-cycle. (And it's not entirely their fault - the customers 'want' this stuff -- as reflected in the nature of 'news' that features on social media outlets).
https://quillette.com/2024/02/15/getting-better-all-the-time/
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