Political Junkie

In case anybody has forgotten, this past election season was very intense. So many people became engaged and attentive in a way I've never seen before. This was great for somebody like me who has always had an interest in keeping up with politics, but it also meant that I became the "go-to gal." It was great to be able to offer my knowledge and insight to help my friends out, but it also made is extra exhausting.

After the election was over and the dust started to settle, I began to wean myself off of my regular schedule of political news shows and email alerts. While those around me were experiencing election withdrawal, I was anxious to put my political brain into hibernation. I still followed most of the major stories -- the inauguration, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and so forth -- but I tried to stop my brain from going there.

That is, until a few weeks ago when some wheels started turning and my thoughts started cranking away again. In trying to focus more on myself lately, the last thing I need is for my addiction to politics to start up again, so I tried to fight my urge to seek out political news. Now there's been a flurry of activity -- President Obama nominated Judge Sotomayor for the Supreme Court, Prop 8 was upheld by the California Supreme Court, Dr. George Tiller was shot and killed this weekend, and all the other stories, big and small, that have been churning away.

Well, it's just too much to ignore, so I'm going to stop fighting it. I'm taking it as a sign that I need a little politics fix every so often to keep me going.

Have any of you changed your level of political engagement over the past year and since the election season? Any other political junkies out there who feel my pain?