Stories We Need On Life’s Edge

Our culture likes its heroes undaunted, especially in the stories we tell.  When I did end up writing the scary-robot show, I found myself clashing with executives.  I argued that bravery in the face of death shouldn’t be the protagonists’ default setting.  Because when we glorify strength without showing empathy for weakness, we end up with a toxic version of heroism, one that links bravery to goodness and cowardice to getting what you deserve.
And when we do that, we can no longer tell stories of grace, or forgiveness, or connectedness.  We can no longer tell stories about real people — the ones who fail, the ones who are afraid and the ones who let themselves and others down.  These are the stories we need more than ever, especially those of us walking on life’s edge.
—    Josh Friedman
From his opinion editorial:  “It’s O.K. to be a coward about cancer“
Appearing in:  Time Magazine, 7 August 2017
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On This Day In:
2021	Are You A Loner?
	I Got Work
2020	I Wish Republicans Valued Democracy As Much As They Say They Value Freedom
	It Sure Does
2019	Something Very Different
2018	For Most Of Us
2017	Stories We Need On Life’s Edge
2016	Heart Trouble
2015	From The Inside Out
2014	Alone And Free
2013	Superstition Is Your Way
2012	Escape Hatches
2011	Sing Like No One Is Listening

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