COMMAERNTTARY
Looking Around
MAY/JUNE 2017 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 139
I don’t know about you, but I hate
to watch, listen or read the news
lately. My head is not in the
sand, and I do try to stay current,
By Dick Crippen
but I have always believed that when
you are bombarded with negativity,
you will become negative yourself.
As bad as things seem to be on the national or local scene,
I have to remind myself that nothing has really changed. That is
how things are in a democracy, and it’s been that way since this
country was founded. Abraham Lincoln was elected President
after a bitter, name-calling and vicious election battle. He rose
above it and so did the country.
There are always going to be disagreements, however, I am
sure that if we put our country first, we will get through these
troubles just like we have in the past. We must get beyond party
politics and become focused on what is best for our nation. To do
this, we must calm down and evaluate what is really happening.
To me, that involves looking out my window on a beautiful
day. It means taking a ride to the beach or park. It can mean
taking a walk with someone special to appreciate not only what
you see around you, but also what the two of you have shared.
Sometimes, we get so preoccupied with tomorrow that we forget
to look back in our memories at what we have done and where
we have been.
When my wife and I decided to do some bucket list trips,
we did it without a bucket list. We just decided to share some
adventures that we had previously discussed. I guess you could
say we had more of a “what if” list. Whatever you call it, we
had it, and we took some action by doing some of the things
we wanted to share. As a result of those decisions, I now have
a meaningful library of DVDs that
I can view on the television to recall
more vividly where we have been
and what we shared.
What I am trying to say is that
despite all the problems that are
swirling around us, we are fortunate
to live in a beautiful area and that many of the problems we hear
about don’t really affect us. Somehow, many of the negatives we
get caught up in don’t make a bit of difference to a sandpiper
pecking his or her way through life as the waves break and the
water moves in and out on the shore. I do wonder if a sandpiper,
as it scurries around, misses a gorgeous sunset or a spectacular
sunrise. I figure we are no different than that sandpiper. We can’t
get so busy that we miss the beauty around us.
We all need to take a mental or physical break from the daily
grind. We need to make time to look around, just like we take
time to set up our next business call or appointment. We need
to look out the window, whether from the office or car, and
appreciate where we live. When you leave the office or your
desk for lunch, take a big breath of fresh air and feel the sun’s
rays on your face. Appreciate where we are and what we have.
We have been down the negative roads before and I am sure
we have more of them to travel. So look around, you will be
amazed where you have been and what you have seen. It is all
quite beautiful. 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: Dick Crippen, a staple in Tampa Bay broadcasting
for more than 40 years, is a senior adviser for the Tampa Bay Rays,
and works extensively with the military. He is active in the world of
charity fundraising and sits on 11 boards for nonprofit organizations.
Dick Crippen