So I’m sitting here with my second cup of coffee, scrolling through the news like I always do, and I realize… absolutely nothing is happening. Like, nothing. The biggest story I can find is about some lady’s bake sale and a dog with glued-on eyebrows.
I’m not kidding. That’s it. That’s the news.
You know what I mean? Those days when you’re half-expecting to read about some disaster or political mess, but instead you get three paragraphs about how Mr. Peterson’s golden retriever figured out how to open cabinet doors. The reporter probably spent an hour interviewing neighbors about it. “Oh yes, Buddy’s very smart. We always knew he was special.”
When Nothing Happens, Everything Becomes News
Here’s the thing that gets me—journalists still have deadlines. Newspapers still need to print something. The 6 o’clock news doesn’t just go, “Well, folks, nothing happened today. See you tomorrow.”
So they make do. They take that bake sale and turn it into a community interest piece. The dog story becomes about pet intelligence or neighborhood bonds or whatever. Suddenly someone’s practical joke with fake eyebrows is newsworthy because, well, it’s Tuesday and they need content.
I actually kind of respect the hustle. Imagine having to write 500 words about snickerdoodles and make it sound important. That takes skill.
But it also feels weird, doesn’t it? Like we’re all pretending this matters when we know it doesn’t. The same format they use for elections and natural disasters—boom, here’s your dog story with the same serious font and professional layout.
Why This Bothers Me (And Also Doesn’t)
Look, part of me likes these throwaway stories. After months of doomscrolling through climate disasters and political garbage, reading about Mrs. Henderson’s cookie recipe feels like a break. It’s harmless. It’s simple. Nobody’s going to argue about it in the comments.
Sometimes I think we forget that regular life still exists. People are still having bake sales and their pets are still doing dumb stuff. Maybe that’s worth acknowledging, even if it’s not exactly breaking news.
But then again… really? This is what counts as news now? I can’t help thinking about all the stuff that probably isn’t getting covered while we’re reading about golden retrievers. Real problems that affect real people, but they’re not cute enough or weird enough to grab attention.
And don’t even get me started on how I’m sitting here reading about a bake sale like it’s actual information I need. What does that say about me? About all of us?
Living in the Feed
The honest truth is I’ve trained myself to need this constant stream of stuff. I check my phone probably fifty times a day expecting… what? Drama? Something to be mad about? Something to share with my friends so I can feel like I’m staying informed?
When I find obvious fluff instead, there’s this split second of disappointment. Like my brain is going, “That’s it? That’s all you’ve got for me?”
Which is pretty messed up when you think about it. Why do I need something terrible to happen every day just so I can feel plugged in? When did ordinary become disappointing?
Maybe the problem isn’t slow news days. Maybe it’s that I’ve forgotten how to be okay with ordinary.
The Dog Isn’t the Story
The real story isn’t the dog or the bake sale or whatever silly thing made headlines today. The real story is that we’re all so wired for constant updates that we’ll read anything, as long as it’s packaged like news.
We’ve built this system where every single day has to produce content. Where silence feels wrong. Where nothing happening somehow becomes something happening, because we can’t just sit with quiet.
I don’t know if that’s good or bad. Probably both.
Maybe Boring Is Fine
Next time you see one of these obviously pointless news stories, try something: instead of rolling your eyes, think about what you were hoping to find instead. Were you looking for something to worry about? Something to argue about? Something to make you feel smarter than everyone else?
Because honestly, in a world where everything feels like it’s falling apart, maybe a golden retriever learning to open doors is exactly the kind of news we need. Maybe boring is underrated.
Maybe some days the most truthful headline would be: “Nothing Much Happened Today, And That’s Actually Pretty Great.”
I could live with more days like that. Even if they don’t give me much to write about.
L J Padayachy 
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