Cynically Optimistic

Yes, it has been a month since I last blogged. I wish I could say that July was so busy that I did not have the time. While there is some truth to it - I did have a lot on my plate during the month - it would not be a fair assessment. I have no less or no more time than anyone else, despite the colloquial "never enough time." The more accurate reason is I simply had nothing to write about. Certainly, I could have written about this or that, ranting and raving with the typical "told you sos" and "can't believes"...but would there really be the need? I mean, how much of that is already in the world? Just take a scan of the daily headlines on any given day, and try not to come down with a bitter case of disillusionment lassitude from all the rape, murder, corruption and conflict. And that's just a single day on Capitol Hill.

See, my problem is I'm a cynical optimist - in general, I'm cynical toward individual humans but optimistic about humanity as a whole. I know, weird if not contradictory. However, every so often, I reach a level where I have to take pause and regroup; otherwise, I'd just turn into a cynic with no hope. I think that's part of the problem with a lot of people - they lose hope too easily, and simply resign themselves to their cynicism. As Mahatma Gandhi said, "You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."

Golf is a great example. To be honest, I am not a very good golfer; inconsistent from tee to green, I spray my hits all over the course. Yet, there always comes that moment of a perfect shot - straight, long and in the fairway - that leaps off the club. It’s a little nudge that makes you want to keep going, and to come back. Optimism triumphing over cynicism, if only for a brief moment.

If only life, and our lives, were that simple.

©2009 Steve Sagarra