Pause... breathe... read something positive
/We’re having a rough time in these United States of America, aren’t we? It matters not what political party you belong to, your current citizenship status, or your geographic location within our fifty states: We’ve all been experiencing the turmoil and discomfort that comes from argument, competition, blaming, political change, wild fires, and much more. Maybe we need to have a little fun, read something upbeat and inclusive – get out of the muck for a few minutes.
Well, guess what! Not all the articles here in the Speakeasy are serious and heavy. Over the years we’ve posted some that are lighthearted and uplifting. And now, just to make your day, I’m going to link you to a few of them. Maybe you can find something pleasant here, possibly even something to make you smile. (And remember: All Speakeasy articles are stored in the Tamarack Communication Archive, organized by category, so you can do your own shopping any time.) Here are seven positive reads to get you started. Just pick one for a change of pace:
Why not start with the December 2016 article whose name says it all: Optimism and Abundance? Here I offered summaries of two very positive books that I thought might help us kick the “scarcity” attitude as we entered 2017. I still highly recommend these two very positive, hopeful books – and we still need optimism.
Learning When They Least Expect It was the July 2022 article in which I shared my epiphany in the skate bowl – with photos, lots of them! I finally saw that Green Bay’s beautiful skateboarding facility is actually a tremendously effective learning lab – far more than just a way for kids to pass time or goof around.
Here’s a story of a rather strange situation in my Seattle-area rental community that brought a detective to my door – and an almost comical dose of confusion. I posted it while living in Bellevue, Washington, in August 2017: The Mystery of the Postman, the Detective, and the Unrelenting Sewer Flies.
This was a fun little experiment conducted in July 2018 by me and my good friend Steve Leahy: Whom Do You Trust – Really? We took a rather unscientific poll, asking Speakeasy readers to comment on our list of “thought leaders with whom we’d be willing to trust our democracy – with no concern for political affiliation or line of work.” Kind of fun to look back, more than six years later. Do you even know these names? What do you think of these people now?
A Fun Book for Everyone – unbiased, straightforward was my December 2018 review of a wonderful volume that is 100% positive and intriguing. I referred to it as “a breath of fresh air.” I recommend it still today.
Not really “fun,” but quirky and low-key: Here’s the Skinny on TV Commercials, August 2016. Might be interesting to read this, and then, as you watch TV, a full 8+ years later, see if the trends seem to be the same.
Here’s a fairly recent story of the wonderful program I’d dreamed of finding – even promised myself to initiate if I could not find it – and how the dream turned out: When Dreams Come True – Awaiting me with open arms, about a winning situation.
I hope you’ve found something upbeat and comforting here. Feel free to leave a comment to guide other readers. And I promise to keep looking for something positive to highlight here in the Speakeasy.