Harboring Seeds of Goodness

     I have alway enjoyed reading E.B White, stepfather to Roger Angell, and steward of "the little book" The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. He famously wrote Charlotte's Web and made us all believe that spiders could talk.

     He penned the following letter to a man who had written to him saying he had lost faith in  humanity. White was a firm believer that it is the duty of the writer to uplift people. The letter he composed answers an ominous feeling we all can identify with, and it's good to read a well thought out reply even on days when all is going well.

Dear Mr. Nadeau:

As long as there is one upright man, as long as there is one compassionate woman, the contagion may spread and the scene is not desolate. Hope is the thing that is left to us, in a bad time. I shall get up Sunday morning and wind the clock, as a contribution to order and steadfastness.

Sailors have an expression about the weather: they say, the weather is a great bluffer. I guess the same is true of our human society — things can look dark, then a break shows in the clouds, and all is changed, sometimes rather suddenly. It is quite obvious that the human race has made a queer mess of life on this planet. But as a people we probably harbor seeds of goodness that have lain for a long time waiting to sprout when the conditions are right. Man’s curiosity, his relentlessness, his inventiveness, his ingenuity have led him into deep trouble. We can only hope that these same traits will enable him to claw his way out.

Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day.

Sincerely,

E. B. White