Mike's Minute: How miserable it is if you can't celebrate good news

Dr Hosking would diagnose a kind of "funk" as a result of observations this week.

There's been two very clear examples these past few days of good news, of uplifting events and of indisputable progress. Yet for too many it was not a reason to acknowledge, or accept, or congratulate, but rather moan a bit more or find a reason as to why it can't be so.

The most obvious was the ceasefire and hostage-come-prisoner swap. As I said, peace in the Middle East is only ever temporary, but the bit we witnessed Tuesday is an indisputable win and, for now, there was much and is much to be celebrated.

Yet the main character, the U.S president, for some was not to be thanked or recognised.

The Green Party here went as far to suggest we actively don’t acknowledge him. They argued the tireless ground operators i.e them and the people who wore the scarves and held the press conferences, were somehow more responsible.

So there's a mix there of complete delusion and lack of grace.

There were no shortage of obsessives who contacted me raging about the Palestinian treatment and supposedly pro-Israeli coverage.

Even a ceasefire, for some, is a reason to pick holes above celebration and/or relief.

Then we could to education. There's been very clear, specific and indisputable progress in phonics, as well as English and maths in our primary schools. We changed it up and it works.

But, no. There's been a lot of push back on that too. "It's only a small sample so how do we know for sure", they say.

A number of interviews on this station with unions, principals and teachers being about as reluctant as you can get, possibly acknowledge we might be onto something.

But let's see, let me dial up the scepticism just a bit. Heaven forbid you catch me being enthusiastic.

The hospitality sector had record income. "Oh but Mike that’s not profit. What about the bills?" Yes, yes, yes, I get it.

But I will tell you this for nothing - when the good news arrives, if you can't see it, or worse, don’t want to see it, you are destined for a life and existence of misery, woe and myopia.

Has the nations funk set in? Has dour replaced rugby as the national past time?

Good grace is not that hard. Sometimes the news is good. Sometimes the outlook is better. Sometimes the future is bright.

Give it a go. It won't kill you.

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