Many moons ago when I wrote a weekly newspaper column, I
heard from many local organizations and readers. But there was never enough
time for pursuing every cool new idea.
I vividly remember a long-retired friend saying, “It takes
me two hours to get through the paper in the morning.” What? How can that possibly
be, I wondered, galloping around with house, parenting, kids, dog . . . Well,
now I get it. Yes, I still want the physical pages of the newspaper. How else
do you bounce from one fascinating piece to the next, coming upon articles
you’d have missed with online viewing?
This past summer, the LA Times has brought info about the
pandas leaving the San Diego Zoo to head back to China or the remarkable Los
Angeles Drama Club where kids from six to sixteen are digging into
Shakespeare’s Henry IV—no auditions, learning to work as a team, learning lines
and their meanings. Or how about the Rapid Response Network that quickly formed
here in San Diego to help legal immigrants wearing leg bracelets on their way
to their destinations get food, clothing, hygiene supplies, a place to sleep
overnight, and support in navigating our bus stations or airports but had
simply been left by authorities on the streets of the city.
With things so fractious these days, it makes sense to take
time to breathe, remember the good guys, and perceive all the positive things
going on around us.
Good news, positive news, was the goal back in the days of
my Citizen Network column, and good, positive news will be the same with these
posts. I’ll add links so you can more deeply explore topics that draw you in. Perhaps
these intriguing websites will surprise you and help you stay grounded in
upright, moral undertakings—events and organizations and ideas that can lead us
to a path of “thoughty” interaction.
You’ll also find quotes from my mother, an eternal optimist.
“It will all come out in the wash,” was a favorite. I didn’t understood back
then that she was literally saying like dirty, stained clothes come clean in
the laundry, but I got the more esoteric analogy: “Things really will be okay,
despite the current mess.”
Longterm, I believe that’s true. Until then, each of us can
decide whether to add to the chaos or take the high road of positive action.
Maybe you have a link to share, a place to visit, news of some positive force
in your neck of the woods. Let’s get together once in a while for tea and
exploration.
