Dear David,

Dear David,

You’re referencing what I think is a common false choice that we find ourselves trapped in when we think about the relationship between hope and heroes. The Walking Dead is a good example of how this choice feels. We don’t like feeling hopeless and will of course choose to stop watching entertainment that reminds us of hopeless situations that exist in the real world.

The question I have is whether or not there are stories that, like our real world problems on the news, do not have heroes and do feel hopeless. I am asking if there’s a narrative format that can help us practice facing seemingly hopeless situations, without relying on devices that are purely imaginary.

Does that bring any new ideas or possibilities to mind?

Buster

Dear David, was originally published in Foolish Journey on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.