The good news you may have missed

While I have never been mistaken for Pollyanna, count me among those who appreciated a break from the constant barrage of stupid, negative news, that “I’m better than you” snark and the

relentlessness of talking heads on TV screaming about how dire everything is. Instead, Gottesman gave us all a message of hope. And if you look, there are more where this came from. Take for

example the Granny Environmental Movement. While 21-year-old Greta Thunberg and her age cohorts may still dominate climate activism headlines, a recent story reminded us to not neglect the

work of another group fighting the good fight: the climate grannies. They were recently featured in a profile in The 19th, a nonprofit journalism site. When you think about it, who better

than today’s grandmas – many of whom come with decades of activism experience dating from the 1960s forward, and in retirement, now have time on their hands – to pick up their protest

placards? Unsurprisingly, when The 19th interviewed them, to a woman they gave the same reason for their involvement: They are concerned for their grandchildren’s futures. That gave me

chills. In a society that regularly leaves older women feeling invisible, here we are in the spotlight, embracing our age, our wisdom, and the loves of our lives. One group of grannies even

brought rocking chairs to sit in while protesting banks that fund new fossil fuel infrastructure that deepens the climate crisis. I kind of adore these women just for their spirit alone.

Want more good news? I can provide it. While I have been holding steadfast in my suspicions about AI (artificial intelligence) and worrying about when I will be replaced by an AI writing

program, I just had an amazing experience with an AI travel site – Booking.com’s AI Trip Planner. Faster than I can correctly pronounce Cotes du Rhone Provence, the bot planned my itinerary

there. It addressed my rental car concerns – no driving in cities please – and advised me which hotels provided free parking. Don’t-miss restaurants? Days of the week for different markets?

Best winery to tour? What to pack and did I want it to track flight prices for me on six other apps? But the part that really made me smile was this: At the end of our exchange, I typed in:

“Thank you so much! You really have been amazing!” My bot’s reply: “Aw shucks, now I’m blushing.” May the rest of your day make you smile too.