Tell me something good....

I am so completely over all of the negative messages that ambush me on a daily basis, that I challenge anyone these days to just “tell me something good”.

Anything.

I would be happy to hear about a wedding, a birth, a promotion, a new job, a new house, a new love, or an old one that you still find sexy as hell. Bring it.

At a loss?

Yep…….so is the rest of the world apparently.

Since when did we become our own worst nightmare? When did we become the group of people that no one wants to hang out with because of the “downer” effect?

We have slowly but steadily allowed the media, pot-shot economists and politicians to siphon every last thought of hope and peace, clean out of our systems. They use words like “recession” and “downturn” and string them together with “economy” and the ripple effect leaves people in a panic.

It is this blatant abuse of words - coupled with the few drama seeking, spotlight whores - that help diminish all thoughts and feelings of peace and stability. We are so busy creating a huge, horrible, self-fulfilling prophecy these days, that we have forgotten how to laugh, love and have fun.

Don’t believe me?

Did you lose weight? Find a fabulous new hair stylist? Try a great new dish? Stumble across the greatest two-for-one sale EVER? Finally get rid of that rash?

If you did, I surly did not hear about it. One (or both) of us, has been too consumed with worry, to remember that the small pleasures in life make up the big picture.

I am not going to propose anything cheesy or unrealistic – like an all out news boycott or suggest that you should somehow plant your head firmly in the ground to avoid anything negative in response. No….none of that.

What I do ask is that you remember that not everything you hear is truth and not all truth is permanent and unchanging. Think about what you are hearing and attempt to sway the knee jerk reaction that gets us into trouble.

For example…….

If you live here in Michigan, the story that I am going to tell should embarrass you because you partook in this event or shake your head because you remember and chose not to.

Roughly a month or so ago, someone (and I mean that literally) started a rumor. And in that rumor, were the contents of the abuse of words that I mentioned above and it went something like this – “gas prices are going to go up to $5 or $6 dollars a gallon.”

Yes….it was THAT simple.

Yet, within that simplicity – wide spread panic ensued as one someone called yet another someone and spread that rumor faster than a grease fire.

Within an hour, roads were backed up and traffic slowed to a crawl as people rushed to gas stations to ensure their ability to fill their tanks before such an atrocity could hit. People waited in their cars - burning huge amounts of gas - waiting to be next, in lines half-mile long.

This went on for hours and increased in fever as the rumor spread. It was on the news, in the paper and it was all anyone could talk about. It had produced a storm.

In the end, when the hysteria had finally died back down, gas prices did indeed increase due to the demand of panic, but only marginally. What had started as a rumor eventually died as a rumor, but it took a large segment of the population willing to believe in it, with it.

I am not insinuating that our current economy is a rumor started errantly by some jackass with nothing better to do – but I AM stating that the effects would be less if it were not given so much clout. Yes…..things have slowed down.

They should have and they realistically, need to.

But - where we are now is a creature of our own doing as people react to what they hear and it all goes round and round.

I want off the ride.

So…..tell me something good. Anything…..start talking about something else and spread THAT.

I’m listening.

MichChick