August 9, 2022

Some years back, my daughter authored a “good news” blog which, I believe, was called “Silver Linings.”  She spent hours culling different news sources in search of something positive, and, inevitably, she would indeed find an uplifting story and post it.  Her purpose was to remind her readers that good things do happen and good people do exist.  Unfortunately, she had few eager followers and fewer “likes,” so she closed the blog, which says much about how we humans prefer to spend our attention.  Her experience reminds me of Don Henley’s song, Dirty Laundry, and the oft reported notion that bad news “sells.” 

Yes, dirty laundry and bad news attract us, if today’s headlines and social media posts are any indication. Both can become addictive which is why, I believe, so many of our great spiritual leaders urged us to seek silence and solitude in order…