Good News

I was fifteen and attending a weekend retreat for Future Leaders of America. I remember absolutely nothing about leadership that I learned in those three days, though I do recall a visit from the programming director for a local news radio station. A question-and-answer period followed the end of his presentation, during which one future leader, beaming with the energy of a young man planning his run for Congress, rose from him seat and asked why the news, and media in general, insisted only covering bad news. Was there not good news in the world? Why all this negativity?

This received an appreciative round of applause, though not from me. I felt for the programming director who was now in the uncomfortable position of explaining to a somewhat hostile audience why most of them would never tune into hear an hour of “good news.” The burgeoning writer in me had already begun to understand that without problems there were no stories. No one would read a book about a couple that never argued, whose kids never struggled, and who never wanted for money or meaning.

Though to be fair to the would-be Congressman, I too preferred good news. I liked stories with what we call happy endings. I still do. But those stories often have unhappy beginnings and middles, filled with the struggle that inevitably comes when we resist learning and accepting, loving and allowing. The release and resolution can only come at the conclusion, for that is the end of the conflict and the end of the story.

The news does not cover endings, only middles. Of course, life itself has no ending, it’s forever in the middle of something. I still have to remind myself of this when I become distracted and distressed by what I read or hear or watch. I begin imagining terrible endings to the story unfolding, endings where only the lucky few have enough, where no one agrees, no one cares, and kindness and compassion and generosity are for suckers only. I wouldn’t want to live in such a world, and the good news is, I need only look around to see that I don’t.

If you like the ideas and perspectives expressed here, feel free to contact me about individual coaching and group workshops.

Fearless Writing: How to Create Boldly and Write With Confidence.
You can find William at: williamkenower.com