With the news being so depressing and alarming these days, is there any relief?
There's Russia and the murder of Vladimir Putin protester Alexei Navalney, and the ongoing conflict with Israel and Hamas. Then there's the United States — in 2024 — having the second-highest number on record of mass killings and deaths to this point in a single year.
Last year ended with 42 mass killings and 217 deaths. There's a good bet 2024 will be even worse. My brain hurts, and I'm sure that I'm not alone in looking for a ray of sunshine.
They say that going for a walk helps relieve stress, so my husband and I put on our coats and got out of the house. And for the first time, we decided to go where others might be having a stress-free moment.
Being in East Ridge, we drove over to the campus where the East Ridge city council, courthouse and community center are located. It also houses the city's dog park where the dogs run around and play together. They saw us standing behind the fence and came over to lick our hands.
At first, my long-standing fear of dogs was triggered big time. As I watched them run across the grass for the balls thrown by their owners and leaping with joy, I began to feel myself relax.
So when a trio of large dogs ran up to the fence and barked their heads off, instead of panicking, I connected with them and joined the conversation.
"I totally agree with you," I said to them. "Absolutely! Couldn't have said it better myself." Their owners grinned at me as the dogs stopped barking and wagged their tails. I could swear they smiled at me before wandering off.
And I finally smiled, too.
We then walked over to the huge playground with swings, slides and climbers. We watched the kids play and had almost as much fun as watching the dogs. The barking was replaced with laughter and happy screams.
The kids chased each other rather than balls, although a few practiced throwing and catching footballs. They climbed the ladders to the slides and yelled with glee on the way down. Moms beamed at their babies as they played together on swings specially designed for such duos.
This walk was definitely a reminder that not only is there joy in this world, but a new generation in the making needs this positive reinforcement.
Yes, there are times when it's appropriate, even necessary, to be in "Armageddon mode," and look the part. But as the moms waved at us, I came to realize that relieving stress is not just a positive exercise for us as individuals. It also nurtures our community, particularly the upcoming generations.
After we returned home, I went online and searched for stress reduction ideas. One list of stress busters that quickly caught my attention began with "be active" and advocated walking. Yes, definitely a good beginning.
Then it suggested smiling and connecting with people. I totally agree, although it should have included connecting with pets, too.
The last item on the list amused me because it resonated so well. "Look for the positives in life. Write down 2 things every day that went well, or for which you're grateful."
So here goes! I'm grateful for: 1) connecting with you, the reader, through writing and 2) reducing my stress and sharing the process. And I'll add a third: getting your feedback on my columns.
Thank you! Send more please!
Contact Deborah Levine, an author, trainer/coach and editor of the American Diversity Report, at Deborah@AmericanDiversityReport.com.