For the Love of Trees

As I'm waking up in this hotel it's a foggy morning and outside my window, there is a robin spouting a cacophony of notes trying his damndest to find a friend. Robins have a pretty tune and when I say pretty, I mean in the same way that the German and Russian languages are pretty.  It's not the smoothest of avian swooning but hey, I'm rooting for my bronze breasted buddy. 

Listening to his feathered tune reminds me how momentary everything is and how bird contentment should be our goal. He's not thinking about how it's a shame that 70 years prior, his bucolic parking lot was once a prairie-laden buffet of life. Or that given the chance, mother nature would return it to that state. He's just doing his best with what has been given to him. 

Eventually, the fog burns off and gives way to clarity. The sun is undefeated in that match-up. Aside from meteorology, we live in varying states of fog throughout our time on earth. Speaking personally, I have chapters where there is a clear-cut goal to achieve but also have chapters where I doubt myself about tying my shoes. Similar to our sun being a victorious constant, even when I have a high degree of doubt, optimism wins. 

If you frequent the major media outlets (social included), you're familiar with the aforementioned fog. I think what many of us have forgotten or don't realize is that the more divisive media can make us, the longer we stay on their platforms and the more value their advertising dollars bring. This isn't opinion, it's research laced with economics. 

Until there is a major reform of how we get our news, the leading sentiment will not be hope or optimism. It will be attention-grabbing dramatics. That leaves us with a social responsibility to produce our own shining promise on a daily basis. 

When you have a normal friendly interaction with a stranger at the gas station, do you come away with the same feeling you get when watching the news or scrolling on the Facebook? My point here being, the world isn't as bad as our passive entertainment wants us to believe. People are generally good and you're as happy as you make up your mind to be. 

The call to action here is challenging you to avoid your screens for a while, consume positive content, interact with fellow humans and go out into the world with your own view versus one that is produced for you. Yep.

New in my life: The Missouri River has trout in it. Turkeys are gobblin'. Let the land of Dollar General and Casey's Pizza begin. 

Keep smilin'

JM