UNCOMMON CENTS 86

YOU DON'T NEED TO LISTEN TO RADIO OR TELEVISION NEWS OR READ A NEWSPAPER. WHO NEEDS THE BOMBARDMENT OF A NEGATIVE SLANT ON REALITY? THE MEDIA 'S GLASS IS NEVER HALF-FULL. DURING OUR CURRENT COLD SNAP, THE THERMOMETER READING IS IRRELEVANT TO METEOROLOGISTS. THEY INSIST UPON FACTORING WIND CHILL INTO THEIR FORECASTS IN ORDER TO THROW THE WORST POSSIBLE DARKNESS ONTO THE WEATHER PICTURE. THEY PANIC MONGER THROUGH DANGER WARNINGS THAT ARE SURE TO INSPIRE DEPRESSION AND FEAR. A LOCAL T.V. NEWS CHANNEL RECENTLY CARRIED OUT AN ANALYSIS OF LOCAL LUBE SHOPS TO DETERMINE - AND THEY SO DESPERATELY WISHED TO PROVE IT WERE TRUE - IF THEY WERE 'RIPPING THE PUBLIC OFF." WHEN THE SHOPS CAME THROUGH VIRTUALLY SQUEAKY CLEAN, THE NEWS CHANNEL STILL WARNED THAT YOU SHOULD THOROUGHLY CHECK THAT YOU ARE NOT BEING CHEATED. MEDIA REPORTING AND INVESTIGATIONS INVARIABLY EMPHASIZE DEATH, DANGER, RISK AND NEGATIVITY.

FACTS USUALLY CONTRAST WITH THE MEDIA'S HALF-EMPTY AGENDA. REALITY SHOWS INDIVIDUALS TO BE CARING, REALISTIC AND UPBEAT EVEN IF THEY PUT THEMSELVES IN HARMS' WAY. AFTER THE RECENT HURRICANE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, MEDIA PRACTICALLY THREATENED F.E.M.A AND WASHINGTON TO IMMEDIATELY 'GET HELP DOWN THERE' BY OPENING SHELTERS AND PROVIDING FOOD AND WATER. WELL, AS ONE RESIDENT NOTED - AND IT HAS NOT EVEN BEEN A WEEK SINCE THE STORM - ONE SHELTER CLOSED DOWN BECAUSE IT WASN'T NEEDED. THE COMMUNITY'S RESIDENTS PITCHED IN AND HELPED EACH OTHER.

LUCKILY AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE REPORTERS DISSERVE THE PUBLIC BY THEIR BIASES, THEY PROVIDE HUMOR AS WELL. AND HUMOR HELPS US SEE THE GLASS A HALF-FULL. DON'T YOU WISH YOU COULD WHACK OVER THE HEAD ONE OF THOSE REPORTERS STANDING HATLESS IN A WIND STORM OR OUT IN THE COLD INTONING ABOUT THE SEVERITY OF THE CONDITIONS? DON'T YOU WANT TO YELL, "GET A HAT," BECAUSE AS GRANNY KNEW, HALF YOUR HEAT GOES OUT OF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD - AND IN THE CASE OF REPORTERS - ALL OF THEIR COMMON SENSE?

HINT: OPTIMISM IS A CHERISHED THING TO WASTE. TURN OFF THE NEWS AND WEATHER. PICK UP A BOOK. SIP A HALF-FULL MUG OF COCOA.