Gloom, despair, and agony on me

One of my dad's favorite TV shows when I was growing up was Hee Haw.  He was a faithful viewer despite my mom's eye-rolling. The show must have made an impression on me because I occasionally find myself humming some of its signature musical (?) numbers ("I'm a pickin' and I'm a grinnin'"). 

Watching the news these days reminds me of one of the famous Hee Haw numbers with the two hillbillies slouched against bales of hay with jugs of moonshine singing "Gloom, despair, and agony on me." Then they would proceed to tell tales of the latest wobegon events in their lives.  Just like CNN and FOX!

I blame it on the 24-hour news cycle.  News reporters no longer focus on the major story, but instead get bogged down in the minutiae of day. So a lot of the stories deal with the "what if's" of life.  Some days it is hard enough to face the "what is" of life without also getting bogged down in the "what if."

Certainly there is bad news these days.  But there is also good news.  There are glimmers of hope in this broken world.  What if not just the news channels, but all of us choose to focus on hope?  What if?