Wild Things are Good News!

Terrible roars, gnashing teeth, rolling eyes, terrible claws and a boy in a wolf suit are all good news.  Today we learned that Maurice Sendak, author of Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen and many others, died at the age of 83.  And whether your eight or 88 years old, you've likely spent 15 minutes of your life listening to the story of Max. 
Correction, you've likely spent 15 minutes in the bedroom, then a boat and then on the island where the wild things are, thanks to Sendak's work.  And that's good news.  Of all the children's books that I've read, no other one stands out like this perfect tale.  And why is that?  Well, for me it gives a child to imagine, enrage, regret, celebrate, embrace and seek and gain resolution all in just 338 words.  It normalizes conflicts within the home, shows how pent up anger can be expressed in unfortunate ways, and illustrates in no uncertain terms the demons we all face, are intrigued by and eventually can overcome.  Oh, and most of all, it shows us that we can always come home.  Of course, with a warm supper still waiting for us.

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The Good News of a Cardboard Arcade

Many of you have likely already seen this video, but if you haven't it will no doubt warm your heart.  It's about Caine, a nine year old boy in East Los Angeles who single handedly, and unintentionally inspired thousands and now millions of people across the world. 

Caine's Arcade from Nirvan Mullick on Vimeo.

And he didn't do it by helping an old lady across the street, or rushing into a burning building and saving others, or by any other traditional heroic efforts.  And yes, each of those methods are truly impressive.  But what's amazing about Caine is that he does it by simply being a kid, and reminding each of us about the simple and concrete potential we each have for creativity and wonder.  And he does so by using his imagination and opening up an entirely new world for himself and now each of us. 

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A 12 Year Old Hero is Good News

Now I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for those stories that typically end a newscast.  You know, the one about a dog that walked across the country to find its owner, or the old lady who paid four dollars for a million dollar masterpiece at a yard sale.  But this one stood out for me.  It's about a kid, Jeremy Wuitschick who was riding a school bus and, in essence, saved the lives of everyone on board.  The video below captures it all and it's truly remarkable. 

While riding to school Jeremy notices that something is seriously wrong with the bus driver and in an instant he rushes up and takes the wheel.  In an instant.  When asked about it later he would say, "I didn't think, I just did."

The levels of good news on this story are multiple. First Jeremy's automatic reaction, and that of another student who performed cpr, oh and, how about the kids who called 911 while the bus was careening down the road? 

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A Blind Surfer is Good News!

Okay, so it's April Fool's Day and you're probably thinking, "Yeah, right, a blind surfer!"  Well, the fact it's April 1st makes it all the more relevant because it is that hard to believe.  But the video below is of Brazilian, Derek Rabelo surfing Pipeline on the island Oahu.  For those of you familiar with surfing this is no small feat. 
So, why is this good news? 

It's simple, here you have a teenager who heard the roar of the ocean in Brazil and wondered, "Why not?"  The most amazing thing about this and something that the vidoe does not explore is the steep learning curve of physical ability, and more importantly, the courage and creativity it took to dare to take on such a task. 

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The "Day Before" is Good News

Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of the Japanese tsunami and I am struck by where I was when the first images arrived here in the States.  Undoubtedly all of us can recall where we were. while nervously fearing for thousands we did not even know.  It was an event that will be forever etched into our collective memories.  It humbled us and, for a moment, made us appreciate what we have.  So, where's the good news at with this one?

Well, I find that there are often tragic events that result in a crystallized and collective group memory.  As if the one thing we have in common is where we were when the tragic event occurred.  Where were you when the L.A. riots began, when the Challenger exploded or even seemingly mundane things as when you heard the latest pop star died too soon?  I present these events and this phenomena as a position to counter, to reverse and to challenge us to do the opposite of. 

In short, where were you the day before?

Where were you the day before the tsunami hit Japan?  What were you doing and who were you with?  What events transpired that were not tragic nor life altering, but just were.  Did you laugh with a co-worker, play with your child or just spend a moment of calm silence while waiting for traffic to clear? 

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