Feed the Good Wolf, Starve the Bad

 Remember the ‘Good Wolf, Bad Wolf’ parable.

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside all people.

He said, ‘My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.’

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: ‘Which wolf wins?’

The old Cherokee simply replied, ‘The one you feed.’

     The recent storm over Gov. Christie and Pres. Obama working together reminded me of it. This is my take.  

    Every time you tune in to, or click on, opinion based entertainment masquerading as ‘news’, you feed the Bad Wolf. Every time you click a sensationalist, slanted or divisive article you feed the Bad Wolf. Every time you engage in hyper-partisan politics by spitting party-line venom, you feed the Bad Wolf.

    The Bad Wolf is winning. We are to blame. We created a culture that ‘clicked’ on division, ‘clicked’ on hate, ‘clicked’ on sensational headlines, ‘clicked’ on obstruction, ‘clicked’ on partisan reporting, just basically ‘clicked’ on drama. We “like” it. We created an environment that showed profit in conflict. Look at our Reality Show viewing habits. That environment we helped birth was ripe for the partisan media conflagration that burned through our politics. We created a political drama factory.

    Look at this picture. Do not be cynical about it, do not debase it, do not support those who do. We have allowed our radio-television pundits, and our politicians, to feed us that filth for too long. We need to stop supporting those who profit from and promote that gluttony. We need a national paradigm shift in cultural sentiment. We need to stop feeding the Bad Wolf. 

    Think about it, think about the low opinion of our Congress, think about the stalemate in politics, think about what that has done to our country, think about why it has happened. Do not look at it from the ideological corner you have been painted into, but see it fresh, with your own eyes. Think about what we get as “news”. It is increasingly alarmist and extreme. We are being spoon fed “fight or flight” partisan paranoia because it sells ad shares, it promotes campaign contributions, it lines the pockets of those who shout the loudest and use the ugliest, most shocking language. We have created this with our choices. We have repeatedly chosen this state of fear, drama and cynicism. It is a drug and we need to kick the habit. Think about the Bad Wolf.

    This picture is of cooperation. Feed the Good Wolf. This picture represents the best of us, even if it happened in the worst of times. This is federal and state, democrat and republican, rich and poor working together to get things done. This is what makes us great. We work together, we check and balance each other. Democracy is not a one party dictatorship, it is a collaboration. Remember Civics class. This is a picture of politicians who put country above politics. This is a picture of politicians doing what is best for the people, doing what the people need and want. Let it simply be that. Celebrate that aspect. I am not naive. I know that there could be other reasons for this bipartisanship, but we can control the message. Do not give in to the cynicism, the conjecture and the presumptions. By celebrating this as cooperation, we control the label and the reverberation.  Show the politicians and the pundits that you want more of this. Feed the Good Wolf. Talk about this, share this, embrace it and endorse it. Recognize that we need our public officials and newsrooms to operate on a higher standard. Recognize that we must change first. Feed the Good Wolf.  We must stop tuning in for their vitriolic fear programming. We must see past these corporate sponsored “sides” and demand something better. We must embrace the peace we seek. We must exhibit the goodwill and the love we wish to see. We must work together to do this so that they may follow our lead. We must feed the Good Wolf, if we want him to win.

    I write this because of my daughter. I do not want her future to be one filled with economic prosperity derived from packaged hate and division. I do not want her to believe that people are put here to be berated for our cynical amusement. I do not want her to believe that ridiculing other people’s flaws is the best way to hide your own. I do not want her to believe that being loud, abrasive and mean is the correct way to debate something as loosely based on facts, as one’s opinion. I want her to feel like this country is a place of great character and humility. That this country is a place of principled and peaceful people, who care more for the riches of the soul, than the riches in your wallet. Success itself does not signify principle, how you succeed does. Make that money, but make it honorably and in pursuit of something admirable. I want my daughter to believe in possibility. The kind of possibility fostered by intellectual curiosity and compassionate intellect. The kind that grows your soul, induces love and affirms your life. I wish her a world where love is a certainty, and greater love is always a possibility. I wish my daughter, Martha Lucy, a world that Feeds the Good Wolf and Starves the Bad.

 * This blog has languished and for awhile I was unsure why. Family asked me to update it. Friends asked about it. I struggled to devote time to it. I realized that I was trying to pigeon-hole it into this first father format and denying myself the room to deviate and fully encompass my wider thoughts on the world. I am not going to do that anymore. This blog will still feature stories about my daughter and the lessons she has taught me, but it will also feature the thoughts behind the lessons I hope to impart upon her. In order for me to be a good father and a good husband, I have to purge. Writing has always allowed me to express myself, photography has aided as well, but I am not good at 'actual' social interaction. My wife and family can tell you, my online social skills are in stark contrast to the tight lipped scowl I wrap around myself in public. I can be terrible at communicating. That is not to say that I always walk around glaring at people, I can be fun, but it takes longer for me to settle in with people. So, I have to write. It gives me a place to put the brain baggage I carry around. 

oh, and here is a picture of the little country girl. She favors the Good Wolf.