To those of you who are not familiar with Bob Ross, stop reading this column and immediately turn on your computer and watch one episode of “Beauty is Everywhere” on Netflix.
After one episode, it is easy to understand why this man was universally adored. While watching him paint gorgeous landscapes is entertaining and weirdly mesmerizing, it’s secondary to the real reason we love his program: his soothing, oddly satisfying and enchanting voice. Whether he’s painting a bright sunny sky or a gloomy ocean scene, it is impossible for anyone to feel anything other than peace and warmth when listening to his narration. For 27 minutes, Ross politely steals your attention away from everything that is bad in the world. It’s just a correlation, but statistically I do better on exams when I watch an episode immediately before entering the classroom.
PBS radiated positivity whenever Bob Ross stepped on the screen. Fred Rogers (you know, Mr. Rogers) was another PBS legend with a contagious smile and welcoming persona. As entertaining as Mr. Rogers’ show was, it wasn’t loved by children because of the cute finger puppets and bright colors (Have you ever seen a red more “red” than one of Mr. Rogers’ sweaters?). It was because of Rogers’ calming demeanor. I know fellow 21-year-olds who listen to recordings of Mr. Rogers’ show for the same reason I watch Bob Ross: It’s, quite simply, relaxing.
The last two months have probably been amongst the most tragic our nation has ever encountered. For the first time in my short life, I’ve heard peers my age repeat similar tropes our grandparents recite: “These are the worst of times.” When you look around, it’s hard to blame them. A lot of unusually horrific things have happened in the last few months. Like many of you, I can’t remember the last time I saw our flag at full-mast.
So the next time you turn on the television, or read a column in this paper, about how some thing or things may be shit (willing to bet there’s one next to me right now), remember this: We live in a wonderful time. Right now, our world experiences levels of peace and tolerance unfamiliar to the world before us.
This may strike you as odd or even blatantly false, but it’s true. It may not appear as such because the media is inundating our sphere of discourse with stories on issues that are controversial. The reality is these sources of information do so because it’s entertaining to stir the pot and get people involved in the conversation. What kind of headline would “Thousands of charitable organizations continue making countless of lives significantly better worldwide” be? The Great Bill Hicks once noted that when news report incidents regarding drugs, it’s always some horrific story where the details are fundamentally morbid. Not once do you hear the story, “Today a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves. Here’s Tom with the Weather.”
Please don’t mistake my column for some optimistic, peppy bullshit either. Tragedy befalls often. Grief is hard to swallow. Some clouds have no silver lining. But do not believe that is all there is because it is all you see. Slowly but surely, we will get through this. More people will suffer. Just be patient. The lines between cultures, genders, races, sexual orientations, et cetera, are thinner now than they’ve ever been in human history. We’re still trudging forward.
When lights ablaze — whether from explosions or gunfire — they illuminate the faces of people helping one another to safety. Mr. Rogers once said that in times of distress, he would look for helpers: “You will always find people who are helping.” I encourage you all to do the same.
Zachary Lee is a UF philosophy senior. His column appears on Tuesdays.
