Optimism

I think optimism can take you pretty far in life--often you get what you expect. A cute story from my dad is what got me thinking about this.

Dad's next-door-neighbor is Hilda (that's not her in the photo--it's one of my relatives but looks sorta like her). She is a tiny, yet formidable woman with an incredible memory, superb knowledge of current events, and deep pockets for the charities she cares about. For years she was president of the Garden Club in the town where she lives--one that has amazing homes with huge, incredible gardens, because it used to be where people who owned furniture manufacturing companies lived (of course, all the factories are now in China, not North Carolina, though some execs are still in the town). So, Hilda has always driven Buicks. Last week, for her birthday, she traded in her old one and got a brand new car. She needs a car because she drives to the nearby hospital a couple of times a week to do volunteer work like cheer up the old people, feed them, read to them, etc. The kicker is that she bought herself this new car for her 99th birthday. Isn't that the best? She is optimistic enough to think she'll get a few years out of that car! And I wouldn't be surprised. She didn't let breast cancer get her down year before last, either.

My mom's side of the family is a lot like Hilda's--we live long lives. Other than my mother, who killed herself from smoking, they all live well into their 80s and 90s. I didn't think Saintly Aunt Belle would EVER go--she was too tough to die (she is the one in the picture). My dad's mother lived into her 90s, too, and most of his siblings are still going strong (exceptions were the hard-core smokers, once again). This hints that I have good genes. I am optimistic that I could live another 50 years, so I am only at the halfway point in life!

BUT...I have trouble being optimistic that the world I live in will be here for me. When I see the effects of human practices on the planet, when I see the direction in which politics is going (I strongly suspect that Dark Ages II: The Age of Theocracy is just around the corner), when I see how people treat each other...I wonder what kind of world I will see when I turn 99 like Ms. Hilda.

To counter this, I will try to focus on some of the good things I see in the world around me--because being optimistic HELPS. Loving others helps create a loving world. Kindness begets kindness. Learning leads to wisdom. I will be looking out for these things.