Building Community Amid The Chaos

Author John Green, The Game 'Pickleball' And A Couple Of U.S. Senators Step Up And Reach Out

NPR caught several community-builders in action this week -- an author, a quirky game and a couple of lawmakers. Their stories will help your heart: Chief Nerdfighter And Author John Green Speaks Truth To Teens A novelist and wildly popular video blogger, Green spends much of every day rallying young people as a force for good, despite, as he tells Terry Gross in a Fresh Air interview this week, living with the barrage of intrusive thoughts that arise from his own obsessive compulsive disorder. Having OCD, he says, is like having “an invasive weed” inside his mind, and is disabling at times. But OCD defines neither Green nor Aza, the 16-year-old central character of his latest novel, Turtles All the Way Down; she has OCD, too. John Green's previous books include The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns. Richard Drew/AP All Green’s teen-aimed videos and books (he’s one of YouTube’s Vlogbrothers and also wrote the 2012 best-seller, The Fault in Our Stars) are grounded in humor, curiosity and unsentimental belief in the inclusive power of human connection.   Pickleball For All, And The Cross-Generational Power Of Play  Santa Cruz, Calif., journalist Ingfei Chen was looking for ways to exercise and have fun with her 87-year-old dad when she stumbled on a bunch of people playing pickleball in a county park. Researchers say the increasingly popular racquet sport -- 2.8 million players in the U.S. -- can be a good workout and seems gentler on the joints and more forgiving of flaws than tennis. It’s giving older adults -- and their middle-aged kids -- an extended lease on the benefits of team sports. Health Care Bridge Over Troubled Congressional Waters OK, this one’s not a done deal yet, but it is daring. Senators Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., have faced down some leaders in their own political parties to come up with a compromise bill aimed at steadying health insurance markets for 2018 and 2019, and keeping premiums from skyrocketing. So far they’ve rallied the support of two dozen senators -- Republicans and Democrats. “With the expected support of all Senate Democrats, it could have the votes to pass the chamber,” says NPR congressional reporter Susan Davis. Sound impossible? In a 2012 video championing public schools, John Green told his teen followers this: “So, the next time you’re, like, half-asleep in class, fantasizing about being a kid chosen for a special mission or wizard school or whatever, please remember something: You are special, and you’ve been chosen for a special mission that was denied to 99.9 percent of all humans ever! We need you! We believe in you! And we’re counting on you. Best wishes, John Green.” Indeed. Best wishes, too, from your Shots editor, Deborah Franklin   You received this message because you're subscribed to our Health emails. |  Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy | NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002