My first column

Here it is. Feel free to think that it's a little bit hokey. We'll see how my readers feel about it tomorrow.


My resolution? Go against the grain
"If it bleeds, it leads."

In this around-the-clock industry of mine, it's that age-old adage
that keeps sad stories and tragic tales on the front page of every
newspaper and at the top of each nightly newscast.

I'm not sure who decided long ago that we needed a daily overdose of
disappointment and distress, but it seems inescapable, especially
lately with Wall Street's woes, a bailout for the Big Three and
record-high unemployment — which I was part of last month.

I often wonder if we remain in such a glass-half-empty mentality
because, subconciously, the mass media tells us to. They give gloomy
economic forecasts and, in response, shoppers seal up their
pocketbooks. Then they report that we're not spending money.

So in the face of downheartedness and worrisome reports of a
recession, I have come to a decision: I'm not participating.

It's a detox of sorts; a diet from the depressing. And while I'm not
much into setting New Year's resolutions — I believe you can start
fresh at any time of the year — this is one I am making.

I want to spend 2009 focusing on the hopeful, reflecting on the inspiring.

I want to hear about stories of promise, of neighbor encouraging
neighbor and stranger helping stranger. I want to dig deep and
discover successes I know are tucked in there somewhere, in between
statistics of childhood obesity and the latest political scandal: a
job that finally comes through; a family that steps outside of its own
struggles to serve others in deeper need; a charity whose donations
are surpassed; a faith that is restored; and a realization that
whether or not a prayer is answered, there is a bigger plan at work.

I want to celebrate daily accomplishments, even if they are as simple
as smiling at those who pass by me on the sidewalk and finishing the
56 ounces of water I lug around with me.

I want to take time to count my blessings, and to strive each day to
have an attitude of gratitude, even when the road gets a little foggy.

This resolution may not always be easy to stick to, especially when
we're so used to reacting to the worst. But I have a feeling that of
all the places to search for inspiration, the Pointes are a great
place to start.

So, if you're up for it, I invite you to walk alongside me in my
challenge of finding the extraordinary in the everyday, of searching
for happiness in simplicity, of tuning out the negative and turning to
the cheerful. Be surprised by joy. Dare to wonder what it would be
like in a world with less worry and more wit.

And don't laugh off what might seem like a lofty dream or an
unattainable goal. For as Mark Twain once said, "Don't part with your
illusions. When they are gone, you may still exist, but you have
ceased to live."