Pessimistically Optimistic

Have you ever seen the movie, or maybe read the book, Pollyanna? Well, if not it is about a little girl who has an impenetrably positive outlook on life. No matter what fate throws at her she just smiles contently and thinks about things she should be glad about. While this is an amazing attribute for someone to have and I commend this type of optimism, sometimes it kinda makes me want to slap people.

There is a contrasting character that I am sure we are all aware of, the lovable, yet perpetually gloomy Eeyore. I can remember growing up always having a special fondness for that downtrodden little fella. I attributed this mainly to my love of horses, but perhaps somewhere hidden in the depths of my consciousness I could relate to him, just a little bit. As I grew out of my childhood innocence and became immersed in the realm of adulthood, I learned that Eeyore was an icon of pessimism, an attribute to be loathed. How could anyone hate Eeyore, yet think that Pollyanna was such hot stuff? I mean really, would you rather confide in lovable stuffed donkey, or an impertinent little child?

I don't think I will ever be accused of being an overly cheerful person, it's just not in my nature. That being said, I think there are virtues that I have developed due to my slightly morose disposition. I have evolved into a person that has such compassion, that it is sometimes to a fault. You may not think that compassion and pessimism are even remotely related, but I can assure you that they are. People that are perpetually positive don't have the little red flag that pops up inside their head constantly reminding them that something could be wrong. Actually, they probably do, but they choose to ignore it. My negativity makes it easier for me to recognize when someone is in need. I do not relish my affliction and so when I see another person who is down and out, I cannot help but to help. The little rain cloud that travels around over my head is squashed just a little bit every time I can help raise someone else's spirits.

While wouldn't recommend pessimism due to its poor reputation, it has worked for me. I will, of course, always try to look at the bright side of my life, but I feel as if I will probably always fall on the Eeyore side of the spectrum. I remain pessimistically optimistic that my daughter will follow her father's example of having a positive outlook on everything. However, if she does have the misfortune of living life a little on the gloomy side, I hope she puts her pessimism to good use as much I feel like I have.