#48) A Walk in the Park

TRANSCRIPT (Note: In prior episodes, I've spent way too much time getting the words here to match exactly what's on the video, but it's not really worth it. So, this is an approximate transcript. I strive to deliver the same message, whether you watch the video or read these words ... I would only suggest not doing both at the same time.)

Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of "Always Be Better" with Mel Windham. Today I'm at C. G. Hill Park on this beautiful cold President's Day, just a couple of miles away from home.

Hey, want to see something cool? Come over this way.

[Head over front of a big tree.]

This large poplar tree has a hole so big, you can hide things in it. Let's see what this sign says. Older than Columbus. Got struck by lightning. You can hide cows in there. It's called the Loving Tree. Cool. Hey, camera lady -- wanna try out this tree?

Picture by Michael C. Wilcox HMdb.org

[Cut to the big hole in the tree.]

Here it is. Check out this big hole over here. I could see a cow being hidden in there. This is a gigantic tree -- with belts on it. I'm not sure what the belts are for.

[Mel inside the tree.]

Here I am inside the tree! You wanna come in? It's the Loving Tree!

[Cut to side of tree -- mooing sounds.]

[Cut to walking through the park.]

So, what am I doing here at this park? Because this is a good place for a walk and a talk.

Let's see -- 2023, I produced only five measly videos. This was by design, as I warned earlier, so I could focus on other priorities, mainly in the area of music. The biggest event was going to Seattle last October for my first orchestral debut. I had a blast, and it took a LOT of preparation. I also released my first music album on Spotify and other streaming services. Just look up "Mel Windham Christmas Celebration," and you can give it a listen. And somewhere in there, I also produced a few episodes of "Mel At the Piano," but that ended up taking up too much time with all the required editing, so I've shelved that effort temporarily until I can figure out how to produce those videos live.

[Cut to sitting by the lake.]

So, yes. It was a successful year. And yes, I successfully reached many more people much more quickly than I've had with these "Always Be Better" episodes. I'll continue with my music, but this video series is still very important. I have a goal in mind. I have a message I need to deliver -- things people need to hear to prepare for what comes next in the world.

I wish I had more time. And here I am. I want to change the world, and nobody knows who I am. 

Have you ever felt like that? You're powerless to change things around you? Well, we'll talk about that in the next video, about our Circles of Influence. 

But today, I'll show you what you can do now to help with the hard times that are going on. Take a look around here, and think about what you see.

[Pan around to show the lake and other people having fun, enjoying life.]

Looks quite peaceful. Right? People walking, a baby stroller, dogs, fishing, a fountain.

Isn't it nice? No anger. No hatred. No protests. No contention. Sometimes I like to come here to get away from all that.

My personal belief is that this is the default nature of human beings. When it comes down to it, we just want to enjoy life.

Now think about when you last went to social media. What do you see? Yeah ... that's where the hate, anger, and contention are. Some people are more than happy to tell us why we need to be angry. There are plenty of people willing to do that. They want to rile us up and get us to do their dirty work. They want us to spread this hate and anger.

But how much more can we take? In a few years, will this park become a battlefield? 

That's exactly what happened during our Civil War in the 1800s. People fought against their own brothers. Well, not this field specifically, as the Moravian settlements surrendered peacefully. But still Union soldiers occupied this land. That's why someone hid his cow in that big tree over there.

What about our near future? Could fighting break out among us again? Wouldn't it be nice if we could diffuse the anger and hatred?

As I may have mentioned before, this is a main goal of this video series. I would love to see these messages spread to turn fear, anger, and hatred into love, hope, and working together.

But unfortunately, there is still a LOT of ground to cover in this series. However, I've already laid a foundation in the 47 videos preceding this one, covering the foundations of logic, vital concepts from the 7 Habits, how brainwashing works and how we might counteract it, and so on. 

So, I've decided to put together the Core Track. Maybe you don't have much time to watch ALL my videos, but these core videos may be enough to prepare you all for what comes next. And together, I think we will survive and thrive, and we'll do well.

If anything, today I hope to impress you to remember that you can always pause to enjoy life. Reboot and refresh. 

So, what are you waiting for? If the weather's nice, go out there and enjoy a park. And while you're there, tell yourselves this: No one can take this away from us.

Thank you for joining me on this little walk. And while you're here, make sure to Like and Subscribe. And remember, we can "Always Be Better."