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My granddaughter is a high school cheerleader. If I could fit into her itty-bitty uniform, I would ask to borrow it along with her pom-poms, a megaphone, and include her school marching band. If I could also multiply myself into thousands, we would march through every community in America.

Why? Because, by gosh, we need to be cheered up. We need to push for victory and head to the championship game and not cower in lowly defeat. Shoot, we thought we were in the final quarter of a deadly pandemic only to find we probably haven’t yet reached half-time. Plus, add in all the days of bad news and conspiracy theories, and I’ll wager anti-depressants are flying off the pharmacy shelves!

From my peer’s conversations to broadcast news, we hear many folks say we are doomed. People don’t trust anyone or anything, including science, government, justice, or even religion. It’s plum ridiculous. So, what are we to do?

Perhaps to start, we must learn to trust something other than hearsay or a single news channel or one publication. Balanced media is key. Why do we lean only to those we agree with instead of broadening our knowledge, learning what others consider? Remember, no matter how flat you make a pancake, there are still two sides.

Impartial media means it is our responsibility to obtain information from various sources and not rely solely on a preferred news outlet. Read several newspapers and publications, watch less biased news, paying attention to research-backed truth and not just opinion.

There are numerous sources one can explore which will inform where a news outlet leans politically. Which are the most biased and those who lean toward the center of fairness and accuracy. For instance, simply by searching on the internet, there are many references available that rate the least and most slanted news coverage if you are interested in locating unbiased truth. 

We need to garner enough optimism to motivate each other. Enthusiasm is contagious. Indeed not everyone believes we are doomed and done! Personally, I have a granddaughter who still maintains her team will win if she and others can raise a crowd’s spirit. Ain’t that the truth! I’m with her!

If we could motivate enough folks to believe we can achieve victory over disease, find helpful solutions to combat climate change, and work on our many social issues together, then we can run with the ball to the end zone.

We must trust in the truth. It’s there; it just takes a bit of digging to find it.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but social media is not a reliable news source. Please don’t go there to find accurate information. By the time a story reaches social media status, facts are replaced with some stranger’s idea of the truth. Social media is for connecting with friends, gathering money for a cause to aid others, and finding what that old sweetheart is doing today. It is for passing recipes, sharing a story or photo, or wishing a loved one a “Happy Birthday!” 

One cannot be a good cheerleader without faith in her team. If we have enough faith in people and God, we can move that mountain of doubt and despair. We don’t need to become cynics, naysayers, and doomsday followers. They never heal anything; they choose instead to spread harmful gloom. I don’t’ care if everyone I love gives up; I’m not!

I almost gave up on myself a few times, but the joy in life is finding achievement in living. I am throwing my own “hail Mary pass” and fighting to improve our hurting nation. However, not only for me, I want to win for those feisty, cute cheerleaders that I hope keep on cheering long after I am gone.

Quit sitting on a sofa watching the doom go by or listen to those who tell you the world is in a mess. Do something about it. Write your government representatives, become active in volunteerism, vote, lend a hand, and use your talents to help heal the earth. And, for heaven’s sake, quit hating. Every single person has an opportunity to be an example of triumph and courage.

What are you doing today? Watching 24-hour news, complaining about the world, penning another conspiracy theory, or hiding under the covers? Get up, become involved, and let’s recover together so that we can play in the Super Bowl of Life. Every day, let’s pray for God’s help to revive our spirits, believe we can achieve victory, and hoist our team trophy with our heads held high.

GO, FIGHT, WIN!!!