What A Wonderful World

Counter-Programming For Modern Times

Personally, I get suspicious of anyone who can watch the news or read the headlines and NOT have a panic attack these days.

Between climate crises, political dumpster fires, social media outrage cycles, and whatever fresh hell we’ve collectively unlocked this week, I find myself maxed out—emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually.

There’s so much wrong going on, and I can’t handle most of it, most of the time.

So instead of doomscrolling, I’ve shifted into something I now call joyscrolling. It’s my survival instinct—an intentional detour away from despair and toward wonder. It’s not about ignoring the world’s problems. It’s about choosing how much of it I can carry at once, and counter-programming my brain with stories that lift me up, spark curiosity, or at least remind me that there’s still plenty of beauty and hope out there.

JOYSCROLLING FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

None of these stories—all from Good News Network—are important in the usual capital-N News sense. They won't stop any wars or fix our economy, but they do manage to inspire me and remind me how interconnected we all are:

• 94-Year-old Has No Health Issues–Thanks To Zumba Classes 3 Times A Week

• Hundreds of Volunteers Form A Human Chain To Get 9,000 Books To New Location For Indie Bookstore

• Chicago Bicycle Refurbishers Pedal Good To the World For 26 Years With 150,000 Bikes Saved From Landfills

JOY IS RESISTANCE

Choosing joy in a broken world isn’t denial. It’s defiance. It’s saying, “I see the pain, and I’m not going to let it numb me to the good stuff.” We’re living through intense, sometimes unbearable times. And for those of us who feel deeply, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, burned out, and/or paralyzed. That’s why joyscrolling helps me find some balance and catch my breath.

CURIOSITY IS A LIFELINE

One of the best side effects of joyscrolling? I find myself more curious than ever. About people. About art. About nature. About things I don’t know yet but suddenly want to learn.

Curiosity helps cuts through my anxiety and cynicism.
It pulls me out of hopelessness and helps me find wonder.

Each time I explore something new, it reaffirms my belief that this world—while often terrible—is also wildly, weirdly beautiful.

SO WHAT NOW?

You don’t have to pretend everything’s fine. It’s not.

But you can give yourself permission to turn off the chaos coverage, even just for a moment, and seek out what makes your heart soften.

Maybe it’s a couple randomly dancing in a park.
Maybe it’s a long-forgotten pop song that still slaps.
Maybe it’s a bird who’s never met a stranger he didn’t like.

Note: Pepe, my neighbor’s parrot, is the neighborhood mascot. Since being rescued and rehabbed a few years ago, Pepe makes my hood more hospitable in real life and online. Pepe’s a hoot…though he does tend to pollute. 🗑️ 🦜

Whatever your version of counter-programming looks like, I urge you to make time for it. Make space for it. Let the love and light back into your heart and soul.

Joy isn’t a distraction from reality. It’s a way to stay human within it.
And that’s the way—uh huh, uh huh—I like it.

Thank you for being a friend!
Clint 🌈✌️

“After the rain, the sun will reappear. There is life.
After the pain, the joy will still be here.”
Walt Disney

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ON THIS DAY = APRIL 25

BIRTHDAYS

• 1284 = King Edward II = King of England 🌈

• 1822 = Ulysses S. Grant = American general, politician, and 18th POTUS

• 1908 = Edward R. Murrow = American journalist

• 1909 = William Pereira = American architect

• 1915 = Mort Weisinger = American journalist and author

• 1917 = Ella Fitzgerald = American singer

• 1918 = Graham Payn = South African-born English actor and singer 🌈

• 1921 = Karel Appel = Dutch painter and sculptor

• 1926 = Johnny Craig = American author and illustrator

• 1928 = Cy Twombly = American-Italian painter and sculptor 🌈

• 1930 = Paul Mazursky = American actor and filmmaker

• 1933 = Jerry Leiber = American songwriter and producer

• 1940 = Al Pacino = American actor and director

• 1946 = Talia Shire = American actor

• 1953 = Ron Clements = American animator, producer, and screenwriter

• 1964 = Andy Bell = English singer-songwriter 🌈

• 1964 = Hank Azaria = American actor, voice artist, comedian, and producer

• 1970 = Jason Lee = American skateboarder, actor, comedian, and producer

• 1965 = John Henson = American puppeteer and voice actor

• 1981 = Anja Pärson = Swedish alpine skier 🌈

• 1988 = Jonathan Bailey = English actor 🌈

EVENTS

• 1846 = Thornton Affair: Open conflict begins over the disputed border of Texas, triggering the Mexican–American War.

• 1901 = New York becomes the first U.S. state to require automobile license plates.

• 1944 = The United Negro College Fund is incorporated.

• 1961 = Robert Noyce is granted a patent for an integrated circuit.

HOLIDAYS + OBSERVANCES

• Anzac Day (Australia + New Zealand + Tonga)

• National Arbor Day

• National Hug A Plumber Day

• World Malaria Day

PORTRAIT + QUOTES OF THE DAY

“Who wouldn't want to play a character whose bottom you get to know before the face?”
Jonathan Bailey

“Yes, I'm looking forward to gay actors playing gay parts, but for me it's so important that everyone at home can see a bit of themselves on screen, to allow them to feel heard and seen, and also allow them to have aspirations.”
Jonathan Bailey

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