Summit Wellness: Gratitude - "No Good Thing Ever Dies"
By Matt Anthony - Summit FM Digital Media Specialist
“When the world comes in
They come, they come
To build a wall between us
We know they won’t win”
“Don’t Dream It’s Over” – Crowded House
This was supposed to be one of the most satisfying events of my whole week. My Sunday morning walk. I look forward to it like I look forward to Pizza Oven pizza. Or an ear-injection of Green Day. Or that ‘Good morning, handsome!’ chirp that I get from Donna right before breakfast.
But my head felt like it was going to implode. What was normally a measured, strolling meditation focused on the nature that surrounds me was turning into confusion, apathy, and anger. And while I disagree with the 45th occupant of the Oval Office on many things, my angst was at boil-stage at the reality of an assassination attempt.
This anxiety that I felt, though, was not in an embryonic state. I, like many, have felt it for some time. But the events in Butler, Pennsylvania seemed to propel it into 5th gear. (much like ‘January 6th’ did.) My gait quickened and my head throbbed. What in the hell is happening, I mumbled to myself.
“Remember, Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies. I will be hoping that this letter finds you, and finds you well.” ― The Shawshank Redemption
Several posts exist on social media relative to “which movie do you almost always watch when it’s on, even though you’ve seen it multiple times”. I always include the 1994 classic above. (During filming, both Morgan Freeman and I were in Mansfield at that time, as I worked at Y-105 and WMAN.) But even years later, I continue to evaluate one of the over-arching themes of this epic film: hope.
Yes, I know. ‘Hope’ is not a plan. And I’m not suggesting that it should be one. I can feel the burning sting of the question from Andy Dufresne himself, as I spill out my thoughts: “How can you be so obtuse?” But it can be a starting point that may evolve into the realization that a change can occur.
I thought of hope during my walk. And I felt like a microscopic thread of it manifested itself as I made my way past a house several streets down, one normally adorned in MAGA décor. Someone emerged out of a side door carrying a bag of trash. As he deposited it into his refuse container, he spotted me gliding past, and yelled.
“Beautiful morning for a walk!”
“Yes, it is.”
“It’s not always easy
And life can be deceiving
I’ll tell you one thing,
It’s always better when we’re together.”
“Better Together” – Jack Johnson
People who hope to lose weight sometimes actually do it. People who hope to be better at learning an instrument sometimes see dramatic results with practice, even after a short time-period. People who hope for positive test-results sometimes get their wish.
In The Shawshank Redemption, Red ‘hoped to see his friend and shake his hand”. I’m grateful for ‘hope’. I see it sometimes as the only way towards a common-sense dialogue about how people with disparate viewpoints can plant a seed with the goal of agreeing on a shared barometer for measuring ‘good’ and ‘bad’, ‘acceptable’ and ‘unacceptable’, and ‘makes sense’ and ‘doesn’t make sense’.
It’s a tall order, I know. But I’m content with the concept. And I champion at least trying it.
I also hope for a cure for Alzheimer’s.
I hope to be a better caregiver.
I hope for non-violent solutions.
I hope for days with less depression and anxiety.
I hope for reasonable health.
I hope the Guardians win a World Series in my lifetime.
I hope to take better photos.
I hope to appreciate the moment in which I’m living.
What do you hope for?