Half Full

I'm sitting in my office, listening to MP3s of Barney Kessel, waiting for one of the guys in the office to come back from Tim Horton's with our coffee and bagel order. As I wait, I ruminate on the state of the world. There are a lot of things going on in the world, mostly bad, and yes, I am aware of them, but at least in my backyard things are relatively tranquil. Thank goodness!

There are a lot of things in the world that anger us all. The trick is not to let anger or disappointment, or anything else, derail us. Pointing out the idiocy that goes on everywhere is one thing, becoming consumed by it is another. Mostly, there is little we can do about what goes on around us. Where we can, we should certainly try to right wrongs and fight injustice, but we should stop short of trying to impose our will on others by legislation. We should try to lead by example, instead, otherwise we become the oppressors.

I read the news every day. In days past, almost everything would infuriate me. How could people be so stupid? Why would anyone do that? Why don't people mind their own business? I could never find acceptable answers to these questions. These days, I feel mostly sadness. I am glad that some things go well, but oh so disappointed that there is so much stupidity and nonsense in the world. I am, by nature, a 'half full' sort of guy, but it is difficult sometimes to remain positive and optimistic.

No-one is being blown up by terrorists on my street, in my city, in my province. Our Canadian problems must seem trivial to people in areas of war and strife. But, realistically, problems elsewhere are our problems too. It is human nature to spread misery. Why be miserable alone? Let's make everyone miserable! Every complaint, real or imagined, makes it to the international news and the more sensational it is, the more airplay it gets. And then, to make things worse, officialdom steps in to save the day. More rules. More regulations. More laws. More hassles. More harassment of the innocent. Read Peggy Noonan's latest article for examples.

I want my son to grow up with an optimistic outlook on life. I want him to think that anything and everything is possible, if you put your mind to it. I want him to believe that humans are basically good, that there is a core of decency and kindness in all of us. Why are there so many idiots worldwide who seem to be trying to prove me wrong?

Hang in there, son. You have a long life ahead of you. Surely, someday, all the hate and violence with have become things of the past and humans will be free and responsible. I just hope your dad lives long enough to see it.