OPINION: Maria Downey and finding the good in others

On her televised retirement fête Jan. 26 after a nearly four-decade, landmark career, KTUU television broadcast journalist and news anchor Maria Downey spoke about something that in recent years has been troubling me: maintaining faith that there are still many good folks out there who are relentlessly trying to do good things.

Her observation really resonated with me, in that those were nearly the same words spoken by my mother when I was a child. On several occasions, she told me that if I looked for the good in people, I would find it. And throughout my life’s journey, that has certainly been true.

But over time, as I’m sure many of us have recognized, the daily barrages of news concerning terrorism, increasing crime, proliferation of drugs, homelessness, political corruption and climate change, gradually tend to wear away at our psyches and taint our view of the world.

What’s worst about this, at least for me, is that with this relentless reminder of how imperfect our world is, we not only begin to lose faith and trust in our government bodies, we also start to lose faith and trust in each other.

We then stop truly listening to others and communicating at meaningful levels. We isolate ourselves and erect information silos comprised of material from social media, the internet and other outlets that provide “facts” to affirm self-fashioned “truths.” But instead of uniting us, these outlets are stealthily and steadily dividing us.

And I believe that in a world that is changing more rapidly and profoundly than it has in centuries, humanity must be unified to ensure its very survival.

Our unsettling times are certainly stirred up by politics. I liken today’s political scene as a major component of the air we breathe. If that metaphor is even remotely true, then it seems as if many of us are suffering asphyxiation. In its worst form, extreme partisanship, lies, dirt digging, self-aggrandization and bullying, politics is figuratively depriving us of oxygen.

In politics’ best form, of course, we elect candidates who care about the welfare of people, our state, nation and planet; people who work hard and make the necessary compromises to achieve those aims. But a divided populace can’t agree on who those people are, so the oxygen-deprived miasma continues.

But despite issues that drag on and on without any apparent solution, such as Anchorage’s homeless population, U.S. Congress stalemates, the Israel-Palestine war, the war in Ukraine and global mass migrations that include a siege at America’s southern border, there is hope. And as KTUU’s Maria Downey pointed out in her career farewell remarks, it’s been there all of the time. It’s us.

When you look around at all of the people who are putting their best feet forward to do good, right here in this great state of Alaska, it’s quite amazing. And the more you look for goodness, as my mom pointed out many years ago, the more you will find.

I’m thinking of a doctor who, after asking me a question, listens closely to my reply; a dentist who during an appointment asks me at least 15 times if I’m feeling pain. I’m thinking of a late restaurant owner who often sat with customers. There’s a small-engine mechanic I know who truly exhibits care about his work, so I pay him extra. There’s a pharmacy technician who not only cheerfully greets me by my name, but asks how I’ve been doing. I know teachers who stay late after school and put in a lot of extra time over the weekends to grade papers. A couple of years ago, when our car was hit by a traffic red-light runner, two Anchorage police officers went the extra mile to calm us and offer help. I wrote their chief a letter to offer our sincere gratitude and give them recognition.

One of Alaska’s U.S. senators has often taken the time to communicate with me after inquiries about different issues. I remember doctors and nurses at both Alaska Regional and Providence Hospital who have been exceptional during my brief admittances. There’s an Eagle River piano tuner who earnestly brings his love of music to his craft. I know a Boy Scout leader who has definitely been a role model and inspiration to scores of young scouts. Geek Squad technicians have come to our home many times and cheerfully tackled our technology challenges.

The juggernaut of human energy — demonstrated every day at the Port of Alaska, Alaska Railroad, the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and the oil and gas industry — is formidable.

I could go and on. Yes, it begins small. But the effects become bigger, and bigger becomes sizeable. Like ripples from a stone thrown into a pond, the impact slowly spreads out.

We have a lot to thank KTUU’s Maria Downey for after her long and storied career as a television broadcaster. But I want to thank her personally for her optimism. I want to thank her for reminding me that although there are often strong headwinds that might thwart our quest to improve life in Alaska and elsewhere, there are plenty of people around us who are pushing hard against those winds and steadfastly pushing forward.

For 38 years, Maria Downey has been one of those people.

Frank E. Baker is a lifelong Alaskan and freelance writer who lives in Eagle River.

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