writing

Today’s News

“Nobody should ever feel sorry for you, so keep your bad news to yourself and don’t complain.” A quote by Patricia Marx – I read in a magazine recently.

Then this morning during our creative team meeting, we were discussing the media and how it only reports bad news. I threw out the suggestion, what would happen if for one day the media only reported good news. The answer I got “crickets chirping” would be the only sound we would hear.

But think about it… why couldn’t only good news be reported. What impact could that have on our city, our state, the nation, and the world. There are so many good things happening in the world every day – random acts of kindness – that don’t need to be sensationalized, just shared.

So my challenge to you today is in your community, report only good news. Share with your family, your friends, your co-workers, only good and positive news. Leave all the bad stuff behind.

Post a comment too and let me know what good news you have.

In a box…

“Fox. Socks. Box. Knox. Knox in box. Fox in socks. Knox on fox in socks in box. Socks on Knox and Knox in box. Fox in socks on box on Knox. … And here’s a new trick, Mr. Knox… socks on chicks and chicks on fox. Fox on clocks on bricks and blocks. Bricks and blocks on Knox on box.” And so it goes in “Fox in Socks.”

I’ve been thinking a lot about boxes. Not necessarily the physical boxes so much, but the mental boxes. The tendency we all have to put people in a box.
We have one for work, one for school, one for church, one for this and one for that. But what would happen if we let those around us out of the box? What would we find? Would we be willing to accept people for the way they are or would we want to quickly stuff them back in the box we took them out of.

Have you ever thought about how you would describe your box? Is it a cardboard box or a treasure box? There is so much pressure from our society to be “perfect”, to be the most glamorous of treasure boxes, that when we don’t live up to that expectation we think we’re just a worthless cardboard box that someone has dumped in the trash.

But consider for a moment the cardboard box and all it’s uses. We use it to move things, store things, ship things across the miles, and if you’re like my family, you save those boxes and use them again and again and again. But the point I’m trying to make here is we always come back to the cardboard box, while the shiny treasure box just sits on a shelf – collecting dust, until one day it’s packed away in yes, a cardboard box and long forgotten.

We have to look beyond the box – and look at what’s inside. That’s where the true treasure is. And we have to allow people in our lives to see inside our box as well. We have so much to share and give as long as we’re willing to open the box.

It’s a blog

It seems like everywhere you go these days, everyone has a blog.

So here goes, my first blog.

There’s no rhyme or reason to why – just random thoughts in an everyday life.

Here’s something to think about… next time you are in a metro area (especially if you happen to be in New York City) listen to the snippets of conversations you happen to pass. It’s an interesting thing to do while people watching. If you are a stand up comic, this is a great way to get new material. If you are a normal person, like the rest of us, it’s a way to be entertained while trying to reach wherever it is that you are going.

I did this while in NYC, and it was fascinating to hear what all I encountered in a day. There was one gentleman who was carrying on two conversations at once – with two different phones to his ears. All while walking down the street. I guess that’s really multi-tasking.

Another woman I overheard was yelling at someone on the other end of the phone – not sure who she was yelling at or any of the details, but I was glad I wasn’t the one on the other end.

Most things overheard were just everyday conversations – nothing earth shattering. But it did make me more aware of what I say and where I say it. Which brings to mind the rule that my parents taught me and I am trying to teach my daughter – if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

What would this world be like if we only said nice things to people? Those we don’t know and especially those we do. Try it. Go through one day only saying nice things, and see how it makes you feel. Happy Friday.