Weighing in on 2016

There's been a lot of talk about how awful and miserable and horrendous 2016 has been--bad political situations all over the world, humanitarian crises, violence and war, and apparently a lot of celebrity deaths (which are sad for their families, but hasn't really impacted the quality of my year much).

Out of curiosity, I tried googling good things about 2016. And there were good things: Mars stuff, new tech stuff, advances in healthcare. And it was a good year for tigers and pandas, which are coming back from being endangered. But somehow, the good stuff doesn't quite seem to compensate for all the bad stuff the world has seen.

Yesterday, though, I read this article. And the thing that stood out to me is that most of these 'good news stories' were about individuals. It seems there is something significant in that.

The obvious observation is that governments and nations are associated with bad news. But, be fair. Part of the role of governments is to deal with big problems. It's what they are for. So, they are going to deal with a lot of bad news stuff. Also, governments and countries are big. There are a lot of people in them, some of whom want to do good for others and some of whom want to do good for themselves. Which causes problems, which makes the news.

And you can't blame the press. We rely on them to inform us of what is going on in the world that will impact us. And as touching as the rescue of a dog is, it doesn't effect me quite the same way a national election does. Also, there are 7 billion people but only approximately 200 countries. So, to cover every person and the good they do is far more difficult than to cover nations or states or companies, etc.

So I'm not saying government is horrible or the media stinks at their job. Because that's not the point. I think what strikes me most about the fact that good news seems to be about individuals is that it means that we can all make the world a better place, and we don't even have to become a politician to do it! When the world seems horrible, we can look at our families and neighbors and friends and the people around us and see that people are still good. When you think all is lost, just watch the people around you, and I bet you'll feel better about the universe, whether it is the people waiting for the bus or the White Helmets. Because, even though there are bad people out there, there are so many more good ones, who live their lives on a small stage that will never make the national news. And as long as we have people like that, we'll be okay.

So, to all the good people everywhere, thank you. Keep up the good work.