As soon as Gail read my response, she gave me that look. She knew I had fallen off the wagon. As the wife of a recovering optimist, she recognized all the telltale signs. It always starts the same way—with a baselessly positive reaction to bad news.
A Press Club colleague had sent a breaking news email: The White House would no longer allow the White House Correspondents’ Association to schedule the press pool rotation for news organizations covering the President at the White House and on Air Force One. In other words, the Administration would now decide who got access to the President.
I immediately fired off a response:
“This could be seen as a setback. On the other hand, maybe not so much. Whatever happens in the press room or the Oval Office will still be available to all news organizations. Sure, some reporters might lose the chance to ask the President a specific question.
But on the other hand, this could be an opportunity—a chance to spend less time hanging on the President’s every word and reacting to whatever he says and more time doing classic journalism, chasing down cause-and-effect stories, and covering the actual impact on people’s lives. Giving news consumers actual, relevant content. I don’t like what the White House is doing to journalists, but maybe this should be a challenge to do better.”
My response did not sit well with Gail, a retired journalist.
“Tommy, you better get back to your OA meetings—Optimists Anonymous. Your misplaced positivity is unbecoming. Aren’t you pissed off?”
I was embarrassed. Once again, I had sugarcoated the bitter pill. This was not like me.
I know I need help.