Hope is Alive
Well, it’s been a while. A lot has happened since we last chatted. It’s a new year. We have a new President. I have a new wife. Oh, wait a minute, I’m a year ahead of myself.
For now the word of the day is hope. Hope is a commodity that can be sold wholesale. It can be exported and it can be easily manufactured. It costs nothing and hurts no one. The pessimists among you might think, “Oh, that’s just Jim spouting off about positive thinking.” It is a fact that Americans prefer to be in the presence of positive people. I’ve seen the stats b
ut I’m too lazy to actually find a poll to embed into this post. It’s not like this is a Pulitzer Prize piece on public corruption. It’s just my opinion.
I, like most people, prefer to be hopeful. If the President pushes that as part of his agenda I’m with him. As I said, it costs me nothing and keeps me looking ahead instead of looking around today at all the uncertainty. Having worked for the Government for most of my life it’s hard for me to fathom losing a job. It took something as monumental as this economic meltdown for me to actually have good friends that were laid off their well-paying jobs. It’s hard to be hopeful when you might lose your house. But on the other hand, it doesn’t hurt either.
I’m hopeful on a number of issues. The economy can’t get much worse. I hope. Israel will know peace and security and violence will subside in the Middle East. This is a tricky one. It will happen, but the two factors that scare the crap out of me are: What will happen to bring about peace? And will any of my children be alive to see it? I’m hoping that the U.S. will retain its security. At least I have a little insight into this issue and think it will. People have already let the 2001 attacks fade from their minds. Life is essentially normal for most people. I just hope it stays that way.
There are smaller issues, mostly involving sports, for which I hold out hope: Florida State football will rise like Lazarus; The Dolphins will reclaim past glory; the University of Florida will be embroiled in a pedophile scandal. That’s wrong and I’m not saying I pray for it, I’d just get a chuckle out of it. Please don’t hate me. These are just a few simple things that would not affect most U.S. residents but would make me feel a little better.
Hope; We can use it and it don’t cost a thing. Be hopeful and smack anyone who tries to tell you otherwise.
Hope to see you next week.
Jim Born
Well, it’s been a while. A lot has happened since we last chatted. It’s a new year. We have a new President. I have a new wife. Oh, wait a minute, I’m a year ahead of myself.
For now the word of the day is hope. Hope is a commodity that can be sold wholesale. It can be exported and it can be easily manufactured. It costs nothing and hurts no one. The pessimists among you might think, “Oh, that’s just Jim spouting off about positive thinking.” It is a fact that Americans prefer to be in the presence of positive people. I’ve seen the stats b
ut I’m too lazy to actually find a poll to embed into this post. It’s not like this is a Pulitzer Prize piece on public corruption. It’s just my opinion.I, like most people, prefer to be hopeful. If the President pushes that as part of his agenda I’m with him. As I said, it costs me nothing and keeps me looking ahead instead of looking around today at all the uncertainty. Having worked for the Government for most of my life it’s hard for me to fathom losing a job. It took something as monumental as this economic meltdown for me to actually have good friends that were laid off their well-paying jobs. It’s hard to be hopeful when you might lose your house. But on the other hand, it doesn’t hurt either.
I’m hopeful on a number of issues. The economy can’t get much worse. I hope. Israel will know peace and security and violence will subside in the Middle East. This is a tricky one. It will happen, but the two factors that scare the crap out of me are: What will happen to bring about peace? And will any of my children be alive to see it? I’m hoping that the U.S. will retain its security. At least I have a little insight into this issue and think it will. People have already let the 2001 attacks fade from their minds. Life is essentially normal for most people. I just hope it stays that way.
There are smaller issues, mostly involving sports, for which I hold out hope: Florida State football will rise like Lazarus; The Dolphins will reclaim past glory; the University of Florida will be embroiled in a pedophile scandal. That’s wrong and I’m not saying I pray for it, I’d just get a chuckle out of it. Please don’t hate me. These are just a few simple things that would not affect most U.S. residents but would make me feel a little better.
Hope; We can use it and it don’t cost a thing. Be hopeful and smack anyone who tries to tell you otherwise.
Hope to see you next week.
Jim Born
Jim's message reminds us that hope is a confident feeling about what will happen in the future.......His message is particular sanguine considering he "gets ahead of himself" with the list of new things...even before the honeymoon.
ReplyDeleteI certainly agree with the rising of the Dolphins and FSU [really did miss the banter we'd all have with the football season!]........not sure about Gator nation though....
GOOD TO SEE YOU BACK.
Jon
Jim,
ReplyDeleteIf there is a more irritating sound in all of sports -- and that includes the late Howard Cossell's voice -- it is that damn Seminole chant. Long after the game, it keeps coming back, like tinnitus, or that rash you picked up after a party you can barely remember.
On the other hand, I agree with your Gator comments. There is something about Rural Meyer's smugness that pisses me off.
Blech! How can you be so perky at this hour of the morning...before coffee...with rain on the way?
ReplyDeleteJust joking. I agree. Nobody wants to be around a person with a rain cloud over his/her head all the time, hence the phrase: Laugh and the whole world laughs with you; cry and you cry alone.
Thanks for cheering up all up, James O.
What a lovely post, Our Jim - the whole sports thing went over my head, but the message of hope is one we can all relate to. Little bit of hope never hurt anyone - thank you.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the comments. Jackie, we've discussed this before but sports are so vital to a shallow dumbass like me that I have to mention them every few posts.
ReplyDeleteJim
Even this Rebublican who supported McCain, has noticed that things have felt better since January first....or was it the last weekend of the year when the Dolphins won their division AND the Seminoles won their Bowl Game????
ReplyDeleteThat was Cinema Dave who wrote the last entry.
ReplyDelete