Tuesday 29 September 2009

"This I Believe"

A little while ago I started paying attention to NPR as they would air, "This I Believe" this led to a an interest in the series, and then I purchased the book. Here is the premise, "Based on a 1950s radio program of the same name, Americans from all walks of life share the personal philosophies and core values that guide their daily lives."

I think the audibook may have been compelling, but the book is just as inspirational. I love the way they have worked in essays from the original series, from the 50's. The style of writing in the essays from the '50's is different, a lot more formal but funnily enough the empathy, the curiosity and the hope remains universal. You can dismiss it as sentimental indulgence but I like the positivity, the honesty and the commonality of the essays. It is like a direct antidote to the cynicism and "organized religion based goodness" that can seem to dominate. Now I just have to take pen to paper and write my own essay.

W. heard one of the new editors on NPR refer to how he believes that "beliefs" do not have to remain constant, and that is what he believes, that as you live your beliefs do and should change. I agree.

This is what re-affirms my faith in the base goodness of humanity, "This I Believe" and "Sunday Morning Love Songs on BBC Radio 2". Jigna