The Fine Line Between Pessimism and Realism

My wife accuses me from time to time of being a pessimist. I honestly don't think I am. I know most pessimists use the rebuttal that they are "just realists." However, that's not me. I am mostly optimistic, but I can definitely lean toward realistic should the occasion call for it.

She usually plays the pessimist card when I'm watching the Colts. If they're down by a couple touchdowns and can't find their butts with both hands, I typically have some words for the TV. Hey, I'm a true fan. I'm there through thick and thin, but when they suck I let them know (or at least let my TV know). I'll make comments like, "This game is over. They suck." And I'll get the pessimist flag thrown at me.

I also get accused of being pessimistic when it comes to weather forecasts... specifically snow here in Tennessee. After living through 5 winters here now, my approach to Middle Tennessee meteorologists calling for "inches of snow" is "I'll believe it when I see it." This is a realistic point of view based on 5 years of empirical data... not pessimism. This is what I call "maintaining expectations." I write this post today because it's happening yet again. A few days ago they were calling for 3-6" for Thursday. Yesterday, it changed to 2-4". As of a few minutes ago, it's 1-1.5". There's no telling if it will actually snow tomorrow or not.

You tell me... am I a pessimist or a realist?

Winter Cons

For the most part, I love winter. Well, I love snow, Christmas, etc. However, there are two winter cons that line up against my many pros. Boogers and static. I know... that's a little gross. But let's at least get a little honest. Every 5-10 minutes my nostrils have fully reloaded... so annoying! On top of that, every new thing or person I touch gets shocked. I'm scared to death to fill my car with gas. I just know I'll be that guy who blows up the gas tanks with a spark I created with my finger. And, my track pants look really attractive when they're suck tight to my shins.

Point being, I really do like winter and these are the only cons I can come up with. Actually, I'm not a big fan of Tennessee winters because it just gets cold with no tangible results... no snow! But, for the most part, I'm a winter guy. I would rank my seasons in this order... fall, winter, summer, spring. How about you?

Cold Weather Attire

Okay, is there ANYONE out there who sees a guy wearing a t-shirt, no coat or sweatshirt and maybe some shorts when the high for the day is in the 20's or below and thinks to themselves, "Wow, that guy is the most masculine stud of a man I've ever seen?" I'm thinking there MUST be people out there who think that. If not, there are a handful of guys who are enduring hell for nothing.

His only driving motivator must be that he thinks people will think he's a real man. I know you're freezing your butt off! Give it up! The high here in Nashville today is 27, and I'm sure it wasn't higher than 15 or so when I saw a dude in scrubs walking into Starbucks... dumb! I don't think you're cool... I think you're stupid.

HAPPY 2010!

Well, I must say I typically love the start of New Year's. New goals... new hobbies... you start thinking about how nice spring will be... where you'll vacation this summer... it's a time to really reset... really analyze your life. However, this year I'm a little disappointed... maybe you're in the same boat with me.

Here's why I'm disappointed... where are the flying cars? Where are the hover-skateboards? Where are the self-lacing Nike's? Sure, we've made strides thanks to Apple, BlueTooth, etc. But we're not near as far as I envisioned we would be when I was 12 in 1988. In fact, not only do we not have flying cars, but we're not even close as far as I know. Becoming an adult sucks because you start realizing some of the dreams of the future you had as a kid may turn out to be impossible. Like flying cars... the flying car part is totally possible... it's the logistics that don't work out in my mind. Are there "lanes" to fly in? How do we avoid the chaos of people just flying wherever they want? Crap, it's not gonna happen is it?

Anyway, I'm excited for the new year but disappointed at our status in technology compared to what Robert Zemeckis told us it would be. I can't believe Hollywood didn't get it right!

Merry Un-Christmas!

December 26th might be my least favorite day of the year. I mean... it's over! Today is the day you find out 3/4 of the stuff you got doesn't fit... as of today you are the farthest away from next Christmas day as you can get... today is the day you realize the "fantasy" is over and it's time to step back into your reality... what's to like about it?

As a Christian, I'm supposed to say that every day is a gift... every day has a purpose... every day is your chance to make it count. I definitely believe all that, but today still sucks. And as I type this it is 41 and raining in Buffalo... SINCE WHEN? I come up here for the snow! Well, and family. I don't mean to be Negative Nathaniel, but I have to be true to my feelings, right? I think it's cathartic for me to get it "on paper." I think it's healthy to know I have a sounding board here with the 3 of you that will read this, right Mom?

So, what are your thoughts? Are you on the negative side of the fence with me on this one? Or are you the eternal optimist? "Hey, you get 365 days to look forward to this again!" Whatever.

Merry Christmas!

Wow, can't believe Christmas Eve is here again! Did 365 days really go by that quickly? Yes, Christmas is all about Jesus. Hello, Jesus' birth is the entire reason the season even exists. On top of that, this holiday is just magical. Some "devout Christians" would say Christmas has been ruined... Jesus has been commercialized... it's been turned into a cash cow. I say... it only makes sense to me that Jesus' birth has become the biggest holiday in the world. Sure, the gifts, shopping, etc. can get out of hand. Sure, the message and the reason can get lost in the "hustle and bustle," but I think it is our job to make sure the message is preserved and passed on through our families.

Christmas through the decades has become a magical time of year. I'm not overly thrilled that it has become more about gifts, decorations, Santa and pine trees. However, I enjoy the fact that it was a time set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus and is now the biggest holiday there is.

Christmas Traditions?

What are your Christmas traditions? Christmas is a MASSIVE event for us every year... and I love it! In fact, it's massive in some ways directly because of me. We always had traditions growing up. Christmas Eve at my Grandmother's house (Mom's side) with all the aunts, uncles and cousins... Christmas morning with my parents and brother... then a Christmas get-together at some point in the next couple days with my Dad's side of the family. However, as cousins started having families and in-laws, some traditions have gone by the wayside. Family still gets together, but in smaller portions and even different locations.

This would NEVER fly with my wife's family. Tradition is kinda like oxygen... it has to exist in order for life to be sustained... and any variance from it just makes life really uncomfortable. Actually, it is an extremely fuzzy line between the Bible and the way Grandma George and Aunt Sally did things. Just tonight a discussion took place referring to the fact that a tradition has been lost because macaroni salad is being made with mayonnaise rather than the Miracle Whip used by Aunt Sally. Can you even imagine?

I brought attention to how hysterical that sounded and there was much laughter. I get the point, though. Tradition is a powerful and comforting thing. I totally get it. I appreciate their persistence in keeping those traditions in place... especially the sisters... and mother! You know exactly what to expect and exactly what to look forward to: fighting over who gets their wish fulfilled this meal to hit their favorite Buffalo heart-stopping dive - Duff's, Swiss Chalet, Mighty Taco, Labella's, Pizza Works, Santora's, Sheridan Family Restaurant, Sorrentino's... playing games and/or just talking until 2:00 in the morning... Christmas Eve service... dinner after with the cousins... Christmas morning with immediate family including the Christmas story read from Luke 2 by Poppy (or Grampie) in his Santa hat and pajama pants whose "closure" displayed a constant tug-of-war between the button and button-hole that were put there to protect us... then Christmas night the Grandparents come over for dinner. Tradition. It really is a beautiful thing... usually.