The Kind of Optimism That'll Get You Slapped

Not long ago I was sitting with a few coworkers, getting ready for a meeting, when a couple colleagues started to lament the negative stories in the news. I piped up, "As a communications professor I once had said, the media focuses on sensationalism; things that are out of the ordinary. Isn't it great that things aren't so bad on a daily basis that the news only reports positive stories because that is out of the ordinary?"

What followed was comments such as, "That's a good point" and blank stares that visually communicated, "What just happened here?"

Another time a coworker was complaining about the cop sitting in a speed trap in town, waiting to catch unsuspecting drivers. At first I felt annoyed, but then I thought, "Isn't it great that there isn't so much crime that the police have time to sit and catch speeders?"

That is the kind of optimism that'll get you slapped.

I've been a gregarious and optimistic person as long as I can remember, and probably about 95% of the time I have a positive outlook. (The other 5% may be spent lamenting about not having a husband or children and possibly shedding a tear that there is no one who needs to list me as an emergency contact. You know, hypothetically.)

When I was a kid I would be excited for days about an upcoming field trip. Those were the days mom let us pick any flavor of Giant brand soda I wanted (for you North Carolina readers, that's a grocery store of the Northeast) and get a package of those Hostess cupcakes with the lowercase cursive e's across the top. I once asked my brother on a pre-field trip day, "Aren't you excited?" To which he responded, "The field trip isn't until tomorrow." I had to think about that one, because it didn't seem a good enough reason to temper the field trip celebration.

The optimism continued as I grew older. Not only did I have the miraculous experience of enjoying middle school, I continued my excitement for life into my teen years. 15 was a very exciting year, if for no other reason than I woke up each morning, thanked God for the day, and thought about the fact that anything could happen that day.... I had a whole day ahead of me! Who knew....I could even get a boyfriend that day! (I never did. Not in high school, anyway.)

As an adult my optimism usually has a more mature theme (usually). I recently plunked down $53 on a flea treatment for my dog that didn't work. At first I was frustrated, then I thought about the fact that the money wasn't wasted, because it allowed me to eliminate one brand of flea prevention in the future, which got me a step closer to finding what works.

When I was 26 I found myself with a masters degree and a job at Bojangles. I'd vacuum sweep that dining room carpet, wondering where my life was headed, but be able to run the drive through the next day, throwing my hands in the air in victory when a coworker and I met another sales goal.

I truly believe optimism is a gift God gave me. For a while I thought I lost it. In 2010 I felt like my world had turned upside down and there was a period of time during which I had almost chronic anxiety. Things worked out and I went back to work at a job I couldn't stand getting out of bed for. I amused myself by setting Eye of the Tiger as my alarm clock ringtone and jumped out of bed with a smile and a will to get through the day.

I realize many others don't easily have the same outlook on life and it isn't always because of pessimism. I am aware that many struggle with depression or other mood disorders that make life feel more difficult than it does for others. I don't think optimism is a gift God is witholding from them anymore than I think depression is something God gave them (to be clear: it isn't). For most of my life I have struggled with an anxiety disorder and maybe one day I'll be brave enough to blog about that. The point is, even in the midst of feelings of anxiety, I have a character trait God gave me that reminds me of the His hand print on my life. We all face challenges that come from a variety of sources: diseases, unhealthy relationships, negative perceptions of self-worth, etc., but we also have incredible marks of grace on our lives. Optimism is one of my marks of grace.

On a lighter note, anytime you feel disgruntled about being underpaid or not having some of the things you want in life, download the Starbucks finder app. As I recently told some friends, "I really can't feel poor when I have a smartphone with a Starbucks finder app on it. I mean, that basically makes me rich! I have a whole app just to find a Starbucks! I'm spoiled!"

Optimism and excitement are some of my favorite traits.

Back to Blogging!

It's hard to believe it's been 4 years (to the day) since my last blog post. Over the years I've thought now and then about picking up the electronic pen, but never got much closer to actually restarting my online musings. A recent Facebook conversation with a friend inspired me to consider giving blogging another try.

As a starting point, I reviewed some old entries and realized there are quite a few life events I had forgotten! One only has to look at my last blog post to see the seemingly random situations I often get myself into, and that one included an unexpected small town karaoke night, followed by a discussion on race and immigration with a tow truck driver.

The thing is, I often easily tire of keeping a journal no one sees. I once lamented, "Why do I need to write my thoughts? I know what I'm thinking!" Without an audience, I didn't consider the effort always worthwhile, which is one reason I'm more apt to blog than hand write my thoughts and tuck them away on a bookshelf. Yet, whether I look back at journals others haven't read or the blogs others have read, I am reminded that regardless of the method, keeping a narrative shows some pretty amazing events, people, and places that are woven into my life story. I am reminded of the faithfulness and provision of God and enjoy seeing events come together to form a rather interesting life story. 

I've often comically thought to myself that I could write a great memoir based on my experiences from ages 25-30. I'd call that book, "Seriously?: My Journey through Functional Dysfunction." Though it would be accurate, I imagine I'd have to change some names, dates, and places to satisfy those who would take up space on its pages. Even though I may not expound upon certain aspects of those years, the point remains that documenting one's journey is a worthwhile and meaningful endeavor.

With my fresh understanding of the value of recording my thoughts, feelings, and experiences, I decided I could take on the task of keeping a journal and still have an audience, hence the revival of this blog. I realize many people will not be interested, but for the ones who are, I'm pretty sure future blog entries are going to cover humor, thoughtfulness, and point to the miraculous power of God to create a beautifully woven together life story. He's quite the benevolent author.