A Slight Shift in Direction

You know, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately, and I’m concerned that there’s an overload of negative energy floating around out there, both in the blogosphere and in the real world. And (especially after re-reading some of my recent entries), I’m not so sure I want to keep contributing to it.

I’m not saying I want to stop talking (or, technically, writing). But I’ve been spending way too much time being negative when, karmically speaking, I should be focusing a lot more on the positive. Sometimes it’s hard to tell given the nature of “news” reporting, but there is a lot of good news out there, particularly in the areas I profess to cover on this weblog. There’s a movie opening today that I’ve been looking forward to (and which is getting rave reviews, from Roger Ebert, the Chicago Tribune’s Michael Wilmington, and both the Post’s Stephen Hunter and Desson Thomson). There’s a film contest coming up this month that I’ll be participating in. My job and family life are going well. And — not to sound too clichéd — I’ve got my health.

Hell, let’s even take a look at the usual target of my negativity. Sure, there are plenty of things I disagree with in the Bush administration’s actions (and at times, I’ve been more than willing to exaggerate to make a point), but to be honest, it’s not like they’re really villains. They’re just a bunch of good, well-intentioned, people trying to do their best to serve the interests of the country. And I have to respect them for that.

Though I may think that some decisions should go a different way, or that the course of the nation should head in a different direction, that’s really no reason to go overboard. There are two (or more) sides to any situation. They’re just trying to do what’s best for all of us, and sometimes, you just have to let go and accept that — however much I would choose to act differently — they do know what they’re doing. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll all be better off for it; time will tell.

As the saying goes, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” While I know there’ll be things I’ll read that’ll get my dander up, it’ll probably be better in the long run if I just pause for a moment, take a deep breath, and focus on the positives.

So going forward, you won’t hear me harping on the shortcomings of the president, the administration, the Congress, or the Republican Party in general. If you like hearing those types of things, there are plenty of other sites you can visit. But here, I’ve had a pretty good run of it, and it’s time to turn over a new leaf. It’s not like I’m going to start talking exclusively about my cats, or the adorable things my daughters do, but there will be a much more uplifting, positive tone to Prometheus Unleashed (which, after all, is named for the idea of bringing “brightness” to people) starting today.

First and foremost, I hope that coming here makes your day a little happier.