I got disgusted a while back watching the news. Nothing but bombings, murders, thefts, all bad news, so I turned off the television set. The spouse and I have seen very few newscasts since. I had to divest myself of all the bad stuff and go in search of some good things to concentrate on.
My daughter lives out at High Rock, so that’s where I began my quest.
My granddaughter Olivia and I went to the marina and watched the fishing boats drift in and out; we had some ice cream, fed the ducks and counted the waves whenever a boat came by. We had a wonderful time, and I felt so relaxed and much better knowing she is in my world.
On the drive home, I watched some children and their dads playing a pickup baseball game and watched as a group of people picked up the trash alongside the road.
By now, I was feeling really good about the county I live in and her people.
My next stop was the grocery store, where I chatted up the friendly clerks and checked out the produce section. My favorite produce guy said to tell him what I wanted and he would go in the back to see if he could get me the freshest supply of it. Wonderful, I thought.
At one point I saw some “seasoned citizens” being helped across the street, schoolchildren, all dressed in matching T-shirts on an excursion, and stopped to watch some construction workers laughing on their work break.
Every time I get discouraged or think maybe our society is doomed, I have but to look around and see that things aren’t so bad; good manners and a helpful attitude are still here, even though sometimes we have to look for them.
By this time, I was feeling pretty magnanimous, so much so that I let someone in front of me at the grocery store. After all, I was in no hurry, and this person looked pretty stressed out.
It doesn’t take much to make someone else feel good ó a kind word, a thoughtful act. Why can’t we all do it all the time?
The section of the Post every year that gives you the highlights of a “day in the life” is such a day brightener, and it gives us a chance to see our kinder, gentler side.
When all the bad stuff starts making you uptight, turn off the news, grab a grandchild or take a drive through our beautiful county and see all that is going on, all the good things we’re doing here. The lovely gardens, the conscientious delivery people, the friendly clerks, the bright-eyed school children: it will give you a different perspective .
OK, call me a cock-eyed optimist, but I am happy to report that the good life is alive and well here in Rowan County.