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I've spent a lifetime devouring news from every source the world had to offer. Newspapers, magazines, books, libraries, specialty magazines, radio, television network, television cable, wire services, Internet, world newspapers, cell phones, satellites and the pulpit.
Add to that the unlimited number of social, cultural and educational resources and the list becomes rather enormous. Most of my life I was a freak with my obsession for news sources and compassion for reading.
One thing is quite clear, everyone has their own opinion of what is news. That is rule number one in understanding what is news. The second is people use news for a variety of reasons only one of which is to be informed of current events in the world.
Some people want to project an image of being intellectual. Maybe they want to impress their parents, teachers, girl friends or whoever. Maybe they were like me who had a grandfather who gave me Time or Life magazine, gave me an hour to read and absorb it, and then expected me to debate it with him.
Now had I been in high school when I was on the debate team I might have enjoyed it more but this started when I was six or seven and became a Sunday ritual whenever I saw him. To me I had two choices in life at that early age. Listen to my grandfather tell me Irish stories or debate the world news with him.
As much as I loved and appreciated the Irish stories, my thirst for information was just as intense and at that young age not too many people were going to take a seven year old too seriously when it came to world affairs. So I loved the intellectual challenges he gave me having no idea I was in danger of becoming a total nerd.
If I asked any of my brothers what they thought of the Cold War they looked at me like I was a freak. Girls, cars, sports and entertainment all were far more important to them than intellectual pursuits. I could always count on my grandfather to appreciate what I went through to stay informed.
Of course there is a great deal of problems that arise when you have an endless quest for information, you may actually learn a lot. I thought I did. And I also thought it was my universal responsibility to correct my teachers, most often nuns and priests, when they tried to teach my classmates inaccurate information.
Let's just say I was a perpetual candidate for an exorcism to drive the demons out of me who made me challenge authority. It was never my intent to challenge authority but to help it be better. Somehow their humiliation was more important to them than the truth.
At any rate, after all I've seen I think "news" should be information that helps the readers understand life, find their purpose in life, discover the truth for themselves in life, and helps lead to a better life for all. Why else would we be here?
The stories I write are intended to serve that purpose. It is up to you to find the real meaning of what I offer. I must say, truth is most often not obvious but buried within a code of sorts. Real insights come from the degree of effort given by the reader to be open to what is not obvious.
Finding people that want to make a difference in the world, that want to do what is best for all people, animals, the environment and Mother Earth, is a difficult process. Finding people open to new truth, new definitions, no boundaries and no prejudice is the most difficult of all.
They are out there, scattered and hidden amongst us, and they need to be inspired, encouraged and heard. So many people listen, so few people hear.
My goal in reporting my version of the "news" is to write stories to stimulate you to consider the impossible, appreciate the fantastic, never limit the potential and to seek the good for all creatures and inhabitants, whether man, animal, fish, vegetable or mineral, of this magnificent planet and gift from God(s).
Mostly it is to awaken within you your potential and to find or reassure your faith in a higher purpose we all must learn to serve.
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