Narratives designed to unite rather than divide
We have a role in creating the future That’s the good story.
We have a role in creating the future That’s the good story.
As winter departs and we discover newfound optimism, perhaps it is time to revisit what we “really” want to do.
The return of optimism, journalism’s failures, Patsy Cline’s house, the costs of racism, and Hannah Arendt.
Today is opening day for the Washington Nationals. If the president really wanted to make America great again, he would declare opening day of the baseball season a national holiday. It could be a celebration of optimism and new beginnings. I find that a clear-eyed optimism is an important element for a balanced outlook on life. While former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson spoke for one approach when he said, “I’m an optimist, but an optimist who carries an umbrella,” one of his predecessors as prime minister – Winston Churchill – probably did a better job of hitting the nail on the head. Churchill, who governed during some of the darkest days of civilization, said, “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Circling back to baseball, fans for every team in America are optimistic (clear-eyed and otherwise) on opening day. They know that in years past teams have gone from “worst to first” in one year (see Atlanta Braves, 1991), so it could happen again. Heck, even …