Following is an excerpt, somewhat rewritten, from a farewell column I wrote last year when I left Stanford. I'll refer to other aspects of what concerned me then in the future here. But the essence, for today, has to do with what journalists (and everyone else) can do to sustain some sense of hope in the midst of massive change and alienation surrounding us.
Our society is plagued by alienation, disorientation, and isolation. It is a world of vast material wealth for the few but disrupted families and communities for the many, and an even vaster spiritual deprivation for all. It also is a world where it is often hard as individuals to find our way to form the lasting bonds based on shared values that we so deeply need, as well as any kind of lasting sense of collective commitment to the hard work that needs to be done on many fronts to make things better for all those who share this troubled planet with us.
I've known these things for many years, but in recent times I've often seemed to forget how important locating and nurturing a sense of hope really is for who I am and what I do in the world.
I don't mean to sound naïve here. It's not that finding hope in and of itself is an easy thing to do, particularly when we are dealing with the real difficulties life hands us. If there is a clue to be offered in this regard, however, it is that finding ways to really connect with others that eventually makes the difference.
We journalists pride ourselves on our interviewing skills, our ability to ask the right questions. Sometimes we need to remember to do that in our peronal lives, as well.
For me, personally, this is a challenging time, when I have largely lost my own sense of optimism about the future. I'm mourning some serious losses ion my personal life, and finding it difficult to get back to the person I once was -- hopeful, idealistic, committed. For right now, it is simply a day-to-day struggle. I hope better days lie ahead for all of us.
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