Half and half

As I walk into the kitchen Frankie 'clunks' one of our 'good' glass glasses onto the kitchen counter.

I glare at her, "Hey, be careful, that will break."

She waves my comment off, reaches into a drawer, extracts a pork chop...er...chop stick and proceeds to use it as a teacher would a pointer.

Frankie:  "Is this glass half full or half empty?"  The liquid in the glass is jiggling about.

Ah-ha, I see where this is going, she wants to play mind games.  Okay, I'm up for this. I seriously, silently, study the liquid in the glass.  I lean in really close.  I wiggle the glass, the liquid again jiggles about.  (Oh, I want to giggle sooo bad.)  As soon as the liquid stops moving, I announce in my most serious voice: "Both."

I turn to leave the room.  I hear Frankie's breath explode from her mouth in a rush of frustration. 

(Don't laugh I tell myself...don't laugh.)

Frankie grabs my arm.  "No, seriously, is it half full or half empty."

Again I reply, "Both."

She rushes to the sink and pours the liquid out.  "What is the glass now?"  She inquires.

Me:  "Empty."

She returns to the sink and fills up the glass up to the rim.  "What is the glass now?"

Me:  "Full."

Next she dumps half the liquid out of the glass "... and, now?"  She is waving the chop stick up and down the outside of the glass.

I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling.  Calmly, studiously, I reply,  "Both."  I'm really bugging Frankie and I'm having the time of my life.

Her face is getting red, the veins becoming pronounced, I swear I see steam coming from her ears.  I guess I better reply with one or the other answers.

"Okay," I reply, "the glass is half full.  You happy now?"

She is totally deflated, I had spoiled her moment.  However, in 'plucky' style, she forges ahead. 

Frankie:  "I knew it.  I knew it.  You are not just an optimist...you are the ultimate of optimists.  You are the most disgusting ultimate of the ultimate optimists."
Me:  "Wow, that's pretty harsh."
Frankie:  "You have to admit, you always tend to find something good in every bad situation.  How can you constantly do that?"

I have to admit I don't know how I do that.  And, time and time again over the years I have had people say to me they think I live in a 'rose colored' world and that it is not a healthy place to live.  They point out that people in a 'rose colored' world have no grasp on reality, are blind to the world 'ugly'...hunger, poverty, political unrest, gun violence, illegal aliens, me-ism, terminal illness, bully-ism.' 

Oh, I'm aware, believe me, I'm aware.  It isn't that I don't have every day annoyances, I do.  I dislike 'spam' phone calls and the fact the 'no call' list does not work.  I become annoyed when people pay more attention to their electronic devices than the conversation we are having, I dislike the way the media portrays stories to reflect their opinions of the news rather that present it.  Yes, every day I could be on a soapbox, shouting about the ugly...hunger, poverty, political unrest, gun violence, illegal aliens, me-ism, terminal illness, bully-ism.  I could kick and scream, even get arrested if I so desired.  But, here's the thing.  I KNOW I CANNOT SINGLE HANDED, MAKE WORLD UGLY GO AWAY.    And, since most of the world is only too eager to publicly present their 'glass as half empty' views, and even more eager to grab an AK-47 and tell the world about it, I choose a different approach.

KNOWING that things can and probably will get much, much worse, I could buy myself a bunch of weapons, become a recluse, and hang a 'I hate the world' sign on my front door.  But, (and here's what keeps me going) I also know and believe things could and hopefully will get much, much better, so it is I choose to spread a little compassion, love and joy in my own peculiar way.  I will give you a smile, open a door for you, say hello as you walk by my house.  I will rescue an insect, try to save an injured bird and other defenceless creatures too, for that matter.  I will invite you in if you are cold and wet.  I will make you tea or coffee...and a sandwich if you are hungry. 

Oh, don't get me wrong, I will be cautious, intuition being what it is...so if the hair on the nape of my neck stands up, I might hand my phone out the door for you to use, or make that tea or coffee 'to go'.  But, none the less, I will extend you a helping, loving hand.  I think we could and would make the world a better place if we all did 'little acts of kindnesses', don't you?

I believe there's a lot to be said for optimism, if you don't look at a rose colored world,  at least buy rose colored frames. By the way Frankie, your glass of liquid is not exactly at the half way mark...go fill it up a bit.