Wednesday, September 28, 2011

If You Must Do, Do Good

My job is frequently chaotic, stressful and downright deadly for anyone with a heart condition or high blood pressure.  Carrie once asked me if I've ever felt like everyone is demanding my attention RIGHT NOW.  Only ever single day I produce the news.

I've learned the best layed plans of mice and men often go ary but producers don't have time to cry about it, TV waits for no man or mouse. 

I see a lot of stuff.  Some of it pretty nasty.  Still, I recognize that there is so much good in the world.

Don't believe me?  I'll prove it.

In South Dakota I used to get a call after every sob story we ran.  There was this man in Rapid City that wanted to donate $5.00 to this cause or that family and did I know how I could get it to them?  He didn't have a lot, he had $5.00 and he would give it away.  Heaven is full of men just like him.

In Utah: an 11-year-old girl with an adopted autistic brother held a bake sale on her birthday.  She gave up her special day and raise more than a thousand dollars for autism research.

Then there's this story that most of you have probably heard of.  A car pulls out in front of a man riding his motorcycle.  He throws it down and rides it like a metal sled, slamming into the car and getting stuck underneath.  As onlookers watch the wreck burst into flames and burn ever hotter a group of complete strangers rush to the accident.  They try once, twice, three times before they are able to successfully lift the car off the man and pull him to safety.  Everyone of them is a hero.


A wallet with thousands of dollars in it was recently discovered by the Salt Lake City Police.  Whoever found it, returned it and every single penny inside to the rightful owner.  I tried to talk the police into letting us know who it was.  "It was a group of people and they don't want to talk to the media."  I asked if we could at least know who it was.  "They don't even want us to release their names."  Amazing.

A mother bound to a wheelchair has no hope of getting out to see the countryside alone.  So her kids, now fully grown, trained and bought a special wheelchair.  This Saturday they are going to take turns pushing her for 26 miles and 385 yards in the St. George marathon.

I am a realist but it would take an ignorant man to ignore all the good there is in the world.

I love the chance I have to put together live interviews for my morning news.  There are stories of heroes that should be told and I have an opportunity to make that happen.  No matter the chaos, if you must do then do good.