Focus on the Positives This New Year

I was reading Bill O’Reilly’s book A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity, and in his book, he describes his childhood of the 1950s and 1960s. As I am reading, I focus on the simplicity of childhood back then and I focus on my own childhood. Like O’Reilly, I went out with the neighborhood kids and played until dark (well, actually past dark because of flash light tag). When I went outside, I roamed the neighborhood, from house to house for street hockey and tag. Never once was I concerned with my safety. Though my parents didn’t particularly care for the fact that I was roaming the neighborhood, I was a good kid and there were eyes all over the place, so they gave up that battle. However, the more that I think about the 1990s and childhood, I am saddened by the fact that my future children will not be able to experience those kinds of days. Gone are the days of roaming the neighborhood since parents are mainly focused on their own children. Gone are the days of being able to stay out to midnight and play with your friends, since now a creepy predator lurks behind every tree. Gone are the days where the neighborhood parents watched out for all the kids, not just their own.

Since the days of the past are gone, what kind of society are we living in today? We are living in a self-centered society where people are only worried about the good for themselves. The simple gestures of kindness are gone. Whatever happened to people holding the door open for other people with their hands full? Whatever happened to people chit-chatting about how their families are doing? Those times are gone. Instead, we are filled with the awareness that people are evil and will do harm to you when given the chance. Is this a bleak outlook on society? Definitely. However, the media has pummeled us with so much negativity that it is hard to see the positives in it. Look at the media’s focus. Whenever there is a republican president that they do not like (which is all of them), they focus on negatives. When Obama walked on to the picture, they make him look like a saint (remember Chris Mathews' tingle?). The liberal media picks and chooses the scope of their reporting. When was the last time that you heard something good on the news? For example, we always hear when stocks plummet, but how come we never hear when they go back up?

Today, on this 1st day of 2009, make a choice. Make a choice to shed more positive influences in this world. Hold a door open for someone who has a lot in his or her hands or look for positives in the news. But, be a positive change. Only you can do that- not the government.