SANTA ROSA, N.M. — Never in my life as a political observer have I ever associated “joy” with a candidacy for any office, much less the presidency.
But it’s not the word so much as it is the sentiment the Harris-Walz campaign is trying to tap into — an upbeat view of our future. It’s something that’s been lacking for some time now, although there are a still folks out there who see America’s future in a positive light.
I recently read a piece by Matthew Ygleslas, a “techno-optimist” and blogger/journalist who contends there are many reasons to look favorably on our future. Amid all the doom and gloom about climate change, crime and poverty, health and war, Americans are living in the richest country ever during a time of “unprecedented global prosperity,” Ygleslas says. We’ve bounced back from a global pandemic, contained an inflationary spike that followed, brought unemployment down and raised workers’ wages. Violent crime is down in the U.S. and life expectancy is going back up (post-COVID), making our world a little less scary than it was before.
Of course, Ygleslas is not the only optimist out there. Google “reasons for optimism” and you’ll get a glimpse of a whole ‘nother world of positive thinkers — including a KidsHealth.org posting about how optimism is good for a young person’s health and development. Optimism is the biggest ingredient for a healthy attitude about life.
Unfortunately, you have to go looking for optimism these days. Mainstream media, both corporate and social, focus our attention on the negative and the sensational in a crazy competition for eyeballs and clicks. Yglesias appears to believe that technology shows the most promise for our future, but I wouldn’t go that far. For me, it’s our own humanity — and how we control the technology that’s rapidly shaping our future.
That said, here are some reasons I think we can look forward to, rather than dread, the future:
• Climate change is going to heat up the earth, but maybe it won’t make it uninhabitable. Humanity’s slow move toward clean energy sources might just stave off the worst-case scenarios and actually give our children and grandchildren a cleaner place to live.
• We are evolving into a more disciplined relationship with technology. We can still “unplug” when our mental health is at stake, and our web-based interconnectedness brings us together more than it tears us apart. Next in our evolution, perhaps, will be a recognition of our “oneness” rather than the tribalism we feel today.
• We still have heroes among us. They are our first responders, who risk their own health and safety to save and protect the rest of us. They’re our family members, who make great sacrifices so we can have a better life. And they’re our friends and neighbors, whose good deeds often go unnoticed.
Health professionals tell us that optimism is good for you, and I’ve no doubt that’s true. Personally, I’m at my best when I’m looking the good in this world.
Nemours’ TeensHealth (kidshealth.org) has a great message for teenagers that I think we should all remember.
“Optimism lets us see disappointing events as temporary situations that we can get past. It strengthens us to try again rather than give up. It allows us to keep our goals and dreams in play so we can act on the motivation to keep working toward them. Because of this, optimistic people feel more in control of their situations and have higher self-esteem.”
I’ve heard it said that happiness is nothing more than having something to look forward to, and that’s been true at least in my life. But, of course, my future is finite. Hope for a better tomorrow may not bring this old man “joy” — but optimism gives me a reason to believe in a better tomorrow.
Tom McDonald owns and operates the New Mexico Community News Exchange and the Guadalupe County Communicator in Santa Rosa. He may be reached at tmcdonald.srnm@gmail.com.