Captain’s Log: Day Four
I’m not a glass half full or half empty kind of person, though some think so.
I simply try not to delude myself with false narratives to make the goings on in the world easier to stomach and I often remind others not to do so too. Because of this, some suggest that I can be a bit of a buzzkill. Instead, I just call it being a realist.
The thing with realists, is while they do spend time absorbing the negatives succumbing the world, they balance it with the positives as well.
Unfortunately, the negatives tend to shine brighter, making them feel more prevalent.
But always seeing things half full does nothing but hide ourselves from truths, no matter how harsh they may be.
As I age, at times I see a bleak future. This post is not to say that we are in for one because, as I mentioned previously, we hold the power of change within us.
Yet at every turn there is a tragic tale waiting to unfold.
A hardship.
A trial.
An injustice.
Unimaginable events that haunt our inner psyches as we turn to look away, pretending they don’t exist in our technicolored world in which so many others are currently living in a sea of black and white.
They are there… these hardships.
I recognize that. We all should.
Action must take place. People must fight to speak out. Justice must be served. There is no doubt we can all do more.
And through this turmoil, as our emotions spin rapidly between our own versions of Scylla and Charybdis…I can’t help but see…hope.
Hope is not a passing moment.
Hope is there, as strongly as the events that try to take it away.
And it comes in many forms.
It comes from the neighbor who you rarely speak to but when you need them, they are right there.
It comes from the protestors on the sides of the streets taking the time to make even the smallest impact to those zooming by.
It comes from the comments found on social media who aren’t afraid to say their “peace”.
Hope is found in the form of shared videos, that circulate, from younger generations, unafraid, as they speak their truths. Their strong voices, refusing to take a back seat, always impress me.
Hope…it’s everywhere.
We just have to look for it.
In strangers, in our friends, in our children, even the coworker we have nothing in common with… they will surprise us.
We will become allies.
And even when you feel that you have reached the lowest of the lows, in some shape or form, hope is there.
Life becomes harder when we give up on it.
Hope doesn’t desert us, it’s we who deserts hope.
While I continue to try to be a realist, even in the toughest times, it’s hope that keeps me there, encouraging and supporting me along the way.
And I am grateful that I see this hope in so many of you.
