Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Philosophy and Pastrami

 


Who knew a pastrami Reuben could be the catalyst for thoughts on optimism versus denial?

          Having grown up in a family where if the bone isn’t actually sticking out of your leg you were pronounced to be ‘just fine’, I’m not especially good at listening to anything my body might be telling me. So, it took a really nummy pub sandwich and too long a ride home, resulting in volcanic gastric events, to remind me of my missing gall bladder. You’d think I’d be better about remembering pancreatitis a couple of years ago and the resulting cholecystectomy, and the resulting need for me to stick to a low-fat diet.  

          It never occurred to me that my lunch would be revisiting me far into the afternoon. Which leads me to ask, what’s the difference between optimism and plain old denial? While one person I’m married to  I know sees the glass as not only half-empty, but teetering on the edge, I see it as half-full, and look! here comes someone with a pitcher to refill it!  Rain might be forecast the morning of the big picnic, but hey, it’s sunny now!

          Is optimism a brighter outlook on the world, or a refusal to see it as it really is?

          I just know that next time I’d better order the chicken salad.

9 comments:

  1. Good question! I think there is always reason for optimism, but then again, I still have my gall bladder where it belongs! Hope you're okay now, friend.

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    1. Just a minor upset. But tomorrow's official Pie Day!!

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  2. God bless your heart.I am the same,I must be very careful what I eat,or I will pay and pay and pay.I love your optimism,I don't even know when I lost mine,but I should work on it. I enjoy your blog very much!

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    1. Thank you! And thank you for joining us here!

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  3. Oh-that’s a shame. Sometimes we don’t learn from the first few lessons ( I speak from experience). I actually have stemless wine glasses with a line in the middle and the words optimist and pessimist above and below the line! -Jenn

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  4. Ouch.
    I am a very slow learner on some fronts - and pay a high price for it.
    I hope you are much, much better now.

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  5. I prefer optimism, it's a sunnier way to look at things. That sandwich looks delicious, I'm sorry it caused you so much grief. Could you maybe have one (one day in the future) with much less pastrami?

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  6. My system ain't what it used to be, but I tend to forget and chance it. I usually come out alright but not always. Today, we're off for fish & chips. We'll see how it goes. Life must go on.

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  7. Oh, yikes. Sorry you had to go through that! I think there's a difference between optimism (which is looking at events positively but realistically) and denial (which ignores the reality altogether). You may have slipped into the denial category with your sandwich, but just forgetting is something else entirely.

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Thanks for stopping by and I'd love to hear what you think.