What if we changed our focus?

If you've turned on your TV, radio, computer, or if you've picked up a national paper, you've probably been hit with it. The news that the US economy and the global economy is more turbulent than a storm at sea and the world is in a rubber raft being pummeled about, feeling totally helpless as we watch the next wave coming at us.

The media is full of bad news. Is it all real? Is it true? The media wouldn't lie, would they? But the media is power and money driven as well. Altruistic and objective as they would like to appear, they have to make money to stay in business. What makes them money isn't necessarily getting you to read or watch positive, constructive and heartwarming stories, but stories that grab us, work on our senses and from my limited perspective, focus on the more negative aspects of what's happening in the world.

Why? Because that's what we want! Maybe it makes us feel better when we see how much worse the rest of society is. Maybe it helps us cope in our own situations when we know that others are in the same boat. Maybe it makes us feel better when we read that someone else "got what was coming to them"

Maybe, like an addict, we await our next fix of how the world is going to "hell in a hand basket". Many think there's nothing we can do about it and it's only going to get worse.

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of it. I'm tired of the constant effort aimed at me telling me how terrible things are in the world. No, I'm not burying my head in the sand. I consider myself well read, interested in the world around me, and although not overly intelligent, I'm smart enough to know that I'm tired of the media feeding me this crap.

I also think that some of you may feel the same way I do.

Instead, I'm working hard to choose what goes into my mind and what affects my thinking. I'm trying hard to spend time talking with interesting people where we encourage each other instead to do life better and become better people.

On a personal note, I belong to a small home group with people from our church. I can honestly say that I love being with each of them because they take me for who I am and still care for me. I hope that they feel the same about me.

I'm working hard to read and watch stuff that helps me remember that there are also many good things going on around me. I love hearing about the many people here in our city, who give freely of their time volunteering for community groups, helping in our soup kitchen, working with new immigrants work with our youth, and are working with our poor. They don't normally hit the headlines.

There are people who support children in third world countries and even take time out of their lives to work there for a season. There are people everywhere doing their best to do something good.

I'm also trying to watch my experiences. It can be taking something simple as taking more time to enjoy a walk. Maybe I'll sit on a bench soon and just enjoy the lake or the sunset a bit more. I love music. Maybe I'll take more time to listen to artists I love. As a musician, I'll play more myself.

What about you? Do you feel it's time to turn away from all the negative news? Maybe shift the focus of what you allow to affect you? You have a choice you know. Maybe we could all a cut back on the craziness that the headlines drive us to.

May I offer you two such choices at the Glesby Centre? I'd like to highly, highly, recommend the following two performances.

Dr.Zoo is a musical group based in Canada, but with members and musical influences from around the world. Their world music can be described as "Afro-Celtic-Reggae" and has the feel of Paul Simon & LadySmith Black Mambazo.

The Dr. Zoo band includes Juno award winning Youssou Seck from Senegal (African drums and vocals), Ghanaian singer Nikki Hylton, Afro-reggae bassman Joe Hylton, Irish multi-Instrumentalist Roxanne Young (fiddle/whistles), Sudanese guitarist David Kabbashi, and Reggae kit drummer Jim Johnston.

Since 2003, Dr. Zoo has toured Canada, Japan, UK, US, and South Africa, and won nominations for 2009 World Recording of the Year (East Coast Music Awards), 2009 Music NL Entertainer of the Year, 2006 Music NL SOCAN Songwriter of the Year, 2003 Music NL Artist of the Year, and a finalist position in the 2003 Canadian Songwriting Competition.

I'm also very pleased to tell you that Portage's own Shannay Smith has been signed as the opening act. This talented young musician has been performing with major cruise lines over the last few years and is an exceptional performer.

The second performance is a one person theatre performance called Jake's Gift.

It features Julia Mackey and is a powerful one woman play. Karen Jeffery, Artistic Director of the Sunset theatre in BC describes it far better than I could; "...moving, poignant, exceptionally funny and timeless ... one of the best pieces of theatre

I have ever seen." She is so bang on in her comments. This is an exceptional play which has won huge acclaim.

Regardless of what you see in the headlines or on the news, there is also much good in the world. I invite you to join us and experience some of it right here with us at The Glesby Centre.

Our website is www.glesbycentre.com. Our box office is 239-4848