Barbara and I were riding along in the big Dodge the other day, listening to the Escape channel on our satellite radio. The Escape channel plays soft, contemplative music, which often matches our mood. The volume is usually low, but when a vocalist begins to sing, I raise the volume. My only complaint about the channel is that it has too many instrumentals and too few vocals.

As we rode along, a female vocalist with a wonderful voice began to sing a tender love song. I raised the volume a little and told Barbara what I liked about the song. It was a very nice few minutes, but ignorance would have made it better.

The female vocalist with the wonderful voice is also strident in expressing her socio/political views, which do not mesh with mine. I regret ever hearing any of her rants. Hearing the rants has forever diminished the pleasure I take in her music. It would be preferable for me to have remained ignorant. It kind of reminds me of the saying, “How can I hear what you say when what you do rings so loudly in my ears?”

A few years ago, Kay Shumway and I were going to the Fire House ruin to take photographs. Fire House ruin is so called because when the light is just right, the ceiling of the overhang looks to be aflame. It is a popular destination. The site lies up a beautiful canyon brimming with solitude and good feelings.

We spoke to a guy at the trailhead. By the plates on his car, he was not local. He quickly launched into an anti-Bush rant, claiming that President Bush was going to “give all of this away.” His was the opening gambit of the psychological game, “Ain’t It Awful?” We left him hanging because neither of us had come seeking a game of negativity. But, my experience in the canyon was diminished because of the anger we had encountered. It would have been better for me to have remained ignorant.

I enjoy pro sports on TV, but I prefer to remain ignorant about the personal lives of the players and coaches. When I see a quarterback make an amazing play, I don’t want to be distracted by thoughts of dog fighting and prison time. When I see a linebacker make a wonderfully athletic play, I don’t want to be distracted by unanswered questions of a night when murders were committed. It doesn’t help for me to know any of that stuff.

As far as I am concerned, Hollywood’s only role is to entertain. A friend of mine once said that there are some important movies. I’m not sure I agree. I don’t trust Hollywood to teach me. What comes out of Hollywood is either entertaining or it isn’t, and entertainment is all about how it makes me feel.

For me, knowing too much about an actor or actress can detract from their ability to entertain. There are some Hollywood stars that I avoid watching because their personal behavior gets in the way. I still watch Mel Gibson, but I was disappointed to hear that he had an anti-Semitic meltdown.

Imagine how messed up I would be if it were to come out that John Wayne was a pedophile. Think of all the great movies that would suddenly lose their appeal.

I once described myself as being conservative with libertarian leanings. I am pretty much a live-and-let-live person, which isn’t to say that nothing bothers me. People are free to do as they please, but unless I have some specific need to know, I don’t want to hear about it.

Just let me sail quietly along, blissful in my ignorance.