Setting sail

there are so many instances where a day out goes tragically wrong. but SOMETIMES life's mishaps have happy endings. some folks would say that 'people take their risks and they get what they get.' perhaps that's true, but when events unfold and there is danger involved, oftentimes the people caught up in the events never brought those circumstances upon themselves!

so it is nice when we read a story about our brave police and fire rescue forces saving the lives of people in peril. it's even nicer to know that those people will get to spend another day with their families and friends (and they will have a harrowing story to tell for years to come).

this guy loves the sea (like me) and he accepted an invitation to go sailing that could have cost him his life. it didn't, and that's something to be thankful for:

http://www.wqad.com/news/wqad-man-ocean-saved-112809,0,6126829.story?track=rss

banding together for a friend

it seems like every time i turn around, i see stories in the news about how young people are in worse shape than at any time in our nation's history. i am certain that each succeeding generation of adults thinks the youths following in their footsteps are the most poorly behaved and ill-tempered lot ever (perhaps as a way of looking better by comparison).

but then, i scour the world for reasons to be happy. i realize that there are more opportunities for goodness in the world now than ever. young people are more connected to their communities now than in my high school days, and they come through time and time again. i saw it when i was a journalist in oklahoma, new mexico and mississippi, and i am sure it happens down here in the sunshine state.

but this little story jumped out at me because i like music. these kids sacrificed their payday for a classmate, and brought attention to the struggles of a kid who may not be able to walk again.

http://www.wickedlocal.com/norton/news/x441555704/Wilmington-teen-band-rocks-hard-for-a-classmate

rock on, boys.

Today's Hero

it would be so nice if we taught children to emulate heroes instead of anti-heroes. there are so many followers of semi-bad-guy superheroes like Batman and Wolverine, that true-blue good guys like Superman get short shrift.

this story is about a group of heroes who saved a person's life recently; these stories always bring a smile to my face:

http://www.wahpetondailynews.com/articles/2009/11/27/news/doc4b0c48ff353c8348305753.txt

heroes deserve to be recognized, and heroism needs to be encouraged.

someplace special

you know what? i'm sick of bad news.

we get so much of it that people can't help but utter the common querry: "why isn't there any good news out there?" the question is so routine to our conversation that i thought it necessary to find a way to share the good news that i find.

i was curious about blogging from the start, but didn't see the point in offering yet another forum for opinions. UNLESS ... i could create a way to share something different. don't get me wrong, my facebook page is still a central wellspring for moaning about current economic policy, the missteps of politicians and the state of our world/country/society in general. but i wanted to give folks somewhere to look for "happy news."

my plan for this blog is to gather good news from sources around the world. there's plenty of it out there, and this will hopefully be a place where that information can be displayed in a clever and amusing fashion, free from the usual cynicism and hyperbole that seems to dominate the current cultural climate. the prevailing mood is that the world is beyond repair and, even moreso, beyond hope.

nothing could be further from the truth.

in the few short weeks since i decided to set the wheels in motion, i have found countless stories from news sources everywhere that offer a joyful perspective. "joyfulcrum" is a combination of of two of my favorite words: "joyful" and "fulcrum," and they embody the nature of this site.

archimedes said: "give me a lever long enough, and a fulcrum on which to place it, and i will move the world." throughout human history, when people employ their minds and bodies to good works they can change the circumstances in any environment. that is the lever. the fulcrum on which most of them place their efforts is the joy they get in doing the things they do. it doesn't matter whether it's coaching baseball or organizing a Relay For Life event, happiness makes the task easier and more satisfying. therefore, it requires a pleasant outlook on the jobs people set out to accomplish. hopefully, you will be able to find that here.

this thing might be a little shaky at first, until i get used to posting and adding photos and so forth. but i fully believe that you all have been waiting for someplace like this for some time. i want to offer you a special location to visit as you begin your day, and if there is anything you find that warrants my attention, let me know. i will be happy to include it.

so here's hoping that this works. often, amidst the cynicism and ugliness that plagues our world, there are plenty of bright spots to be found. this is intended to be one of those locations that takes the edge off. here goes ...