Old news. Bad news. Fake news. Sometimes you want to shut down and get no news at all! I aim to change that by focusing on good people doing good works. I visit with artists, educators, civic & spiritual leaders, musicians, business owners, students, volunteers, and everyday citizens who are using their creativity, resources, and talents to bring hope, happiness, and goodness to their corner of the world.
Episodes
Wednesday Nov 21, 2018
Wednesday Nov 21, 2018
In this episode of Find the Good News, I have a long visit with Southwest Louisiana musician-and-artist Ben Von Duke. This was a good encounter for me. I really didn’t know Ben before this visit. I’d only experienced his music through his band, The Von Dukes, and I had seen his artwork on display at a variety of local events. Without knowing the man, I’d unknowingly built up my own version of what he would be like. That composite I’d fabricated of Ben could not have been more wrong. This man behind the art and music is as peaceful and gentle an individual as I’d ever met. There was no pretension here. I felt that Ben was authentic, honest, and kind. This encounter with Ben was good for me because it helped breakthrough the programming in my mind—a programming I suspect many of us have—that subconsciously classifies and draws sketches of people based on limited information. There’s no doubt that I talk a lot more than Ben, but in allowing me to pick at his brain I feel that I was able to scratch through the surface and get to the depth, not just to the depths of Ben Von Duke, but also through the surface of my own limited understanding. As hard as I work, I still have a mind that leans toward judgment. Whether he knows it or not, Ben helped me wrestle through those old impulses. By the end of our conversation, I felt like a better version of myself. By showing me his honest mind and heart, perhaps Ben helped me find a little more of my own goodness.
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
FOR MORE INFO ON BEN VON DUKE >> www.facebook.com/ben.vonduke
Friday Nov 16, 2018
Friday Nov 16, 2018
Have you ever had a conversation where you were almost 100% true to who you really are? I recently had one on Find the Good News with Rosie Pryor, otherwise known by her blogging handle, Stone Sober Mom. Rosie embodies precisely what I feel we need more of in this world; beings who are willing to show their inner wounds on the outside. Through her site, and in this visit, she candidly reveals the details of her past substance abuse, alcohol addiction, eating disorder struggles, as well as the trips and traps associated with body image and worthiness. By being so fearlessly revealing she creates an environment of acceptance in her presence. Because she has suffered—and is willing to share that suffering with others—she forms a space of safety and healing. Rosie and I go exploring in this conversation; not to exciting destinations or foreign land, but into the thorny pathways, caves, and hidey-holes of the inner-self. For me, a few walls came tumbling down after our conversation. I felt a keen awareness of the false-self many times as we talked, and quickly shut that voice down. I woke up the day after our visit with a slightly better sense of who I am, some inner housekeeping I still need to do, and the sneaking feeling that I’d been sitting at that table with one of the bodhisattvas of compassion. Not only did Rosie show me the good in her; she helped me look at myself in the mirror, and for the first time in a very long time, I saw a good man looking back.
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
FOR MORE INFO ON ROSIE PRYOR >> www.StoneSoberMom.com
Wednesday Nov 14, 2018
Ep. 13 - The Flamingo Principal Ft. Charla Blake - Find the Good News with Oran Parker
Wednesday Nov 14, 2018
Wednesday Nov 14, 2018
In visiting with Charla Blake on Find the Good News I was keenly aware that I was sitting across the table from someone with a lifetime of skills and experiences. Charla has a sharp mind, a strong will, a good heart, and a vocal honesty that I really can appreciate. Project Build A Future—Charla’s current endeavor—helps revitalize and build neighborhoods one home-and-family at a time, with a vision of building healthy communities in the process. Getting to know Charla was what I expected; she is a thoughtful and caring person. It was her depth that was really refreshing; she said things that I will not forget, and more than likely call on again. Her experiences have shaped and placed her in the right role at the right time, and that’s good news for people in our area.
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
FOR MORE INFO ON CHARLA BLAKE AND PROJECT BUILD A FUTURE >> www.ProjectBuildAFuture.org
Wednesday Nov 07, 2018
Wednesday Nov 07, 2018
Meeting the creative people behind local art is something I look forward to on Find the Good News. In this episode, I visit with graphic artist Daneisha Harger. She has a special knack for delivering vintage vibes and colorful local icons. Daneisha knows what kind of art she likes, and that's the kind of art she creates. She believes in knowing her tools and using them well. Daneisha's not hard to find. If there's a local event serving up creative vendors, she's there to do her part. She loves what she does, and loves sharing her talents with others even more. Daneisha and other artists like her are making Southwest Louisiana a really good place to call home.
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
FOR MORE INFO ON DANEISHA HARGER >> www.PixelandInkCreative.com