Opinion: Finding the Good in Others with Maria Downey

On January 26, at a televised retirement celebration after a nearly 40-year groundbreaking career, KTUU television broadcast journalist and news anchor Maria Downey spoke about something that has been bothering me in recent years. It’s about maintaining the belief that there are still many good people in the world who are constantly striving to do good.

Her point resonated with me because it was almost exactly what my mother said to me when I was a child. Several times she told me that if you look for the good in people, you will find her. And throughout my life’s journey, that has certainly been true.

But as I’m sure many of us are aware, the barrage of daily news about terrorism, rising crime, the drug epidemic, homelessness, political corruption, and climate change gradually over time It tends to wear down our spirits and taint our view of the world.

The worst thing about this, at least for me, is that we are relentlessly reminded of how imperfect this world is, and not only do we begin to lose faith and trust in government institutions, but we begin to lose faith and trust in each other. It’s also about starting to lose.

And we stop truly listening to others and communicating on a meaningful level. We isolate ourselves and build information silos made up of information from social media, the internet, and other outlets that provide us with “facts” to affirm our own version of “truth.” But instead of uniting us, these outlets are steadily and steadily dividing us.

And I believe that in a world that has changed rapidly and profoundly over the past centuries, humanity must come together to ensure its survival.

Our uncertain times are certainly disturbed by politics. I liken today’s political climate to a major component of the air we breathe. If there is any truth to that metaphor, it would seem that many of us are suffering from suffocation. Politics metaphorically robs us of oxygen in its worst forms: hyper-partisanship, lies, mud-digging, self-aggrandizement, and bullying.

Of course, in the best form of politics, we elect candidates who care about the well-being of people, states, nations, and the planet. People who work hard and make the necessary compromises to achieve their goals. But because the public is divided, there is no consensus on who these people are, and the miasma of oxygen deprivation persists.

But despite problems that persist without clear solutions, such as Anchorage’s homeless population, gridlock in the U.S. Congress, the Israeli-Palestinian war, the Ukraine war, and global mass migration, including the siege on the U.S. southern border, There is hope. And as KTUU’s Maria Downey pointed out in her career farewell address, it was always there. That’s us.

When you look around at all the people here in this great state of Alaska doing their best to do good, it’s pretty amazing. And as my mother pointed out years ago, the more you look for good, the more you will find.

I think of a doctor who asks me questions and then listens carefully to my answers. One dentist asks me at least 15 times during an appointment if I’m in pain. I think about the late restaurant owner who often sat with his customers. I know a small engine mechanic who really cares about his work, so I pay him extra. I have a pharmacy technician who not only greets me by name and greets me cheerfully, but also asks how I’m doing. I know teachers who stay late after school and spend a lot of time grading papers on the weekends. A few years ago, when our car was hit by a red light runner, two Anchorage police officers tried their best to calm us down and help us. I wrote to their chiefs to express my heartfelt gratitude and give them recognition.

One of the U.S. senators from Alaska often took the time to communicate with me after asking questions about various issues. I remember the extraordinary care of the doctors and nurses at Alaska Regional Hospital and Providence Hospital during my short hospital stay. There’s an Eagle River piano tuner who passionately pours his love of music into his craft. I know a Boy Scout leader who has definitely been a role model and inspiration to many young Scouts. Geek Squad technicians came to our home many times and happily tackled technical challenges.

The enormity of human energy is formidable, demonstrated every day at the Port of Alaska, the Alaska Railroad, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, and the oil and gas industry.

I can keep going forever. Yes, it starts small. But the effect is even greater, and the effect is much larger. Like the ripples of a stone thrown into a pond, the impact slowly spreads out.

We have a lot to be thankful for to KTUU’s Maria Downey for her long and storied career as a television broadcaster. However, I would like to personally thank her for her optimistic attitude. In Alaska and elsewhere, there are often strong headwinds that hinder our quest to improve our lives, but all around us there are people who defy those winds, push forward hard and steadily. I want to thank you for reminding me that there are so many people who are stepping up.

For 38 years, Maria Downey was one of them.

Frank E. Baker I’m a lifelong Alaskan and freelance writer living in Eagle River.

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