Marion Franck

I am retiring from writing in this space. The decision was not easy or quick because my column has been a big part of my life for nearly 30 years. It’s not my third child exactly — but close. I’ve struggled with it, I’ve loved it, I’ve watched it grow. My column began in 1996 when I was a 49-year-old youngster and the former editor-in-chief of the Davis Enterprise, Debbie Davis, said she was willing to give me a try.

On my desk this week is a card that says, “With the compliments of the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany.” It has a lovely hand-written signature, which might be that of the office secretary or someone with a fancier job, perhaps the friendly deputy consul who answered my recent emails. Either way, I can’t bring myself to throw the card away. It looks pretty and — far more important — it feels meaningful.

Davis is full of people like me, who currently face a mountain-sized dilemma. In the second era of Trump, what should we do about watching or reading the news? In the months since the election, I have had conversations with practically every friend I’ve seen about how closely to follow current events. Today’s news is a boogeyman: big, ugly, scary. How much of it do we want to let into our lives?