At 11:32 PM +0000 10/18/02, Árni Ibsen wrote:
>Bless you, Alison for this message. You're a gem. Optimism is an energizer.
>And it will conquer pessimism any day, if applied. I never ever thought you
>were a 'beach loving sun bunny' So there!
Welcome back, Arni! Delighted to hear that I don't come across as a
beach bunny. My skin is white is unbleached paper, except for the
freckled bits. But I confess that I laughed to read that I am an
optimist - ! It made me think of a conversation that I had years ago
with some man who said at the end of it that I was the most
pessimistic human being he had ever met. My view of human beings
isn't particularly sanguine - I have no confidence that faith, hope
and love will ultimately prevail; and I am too realistic at some
basic level to be sunnily optimistic about anything. Somewhere in my
childhood I had a rather black perception that the worst _does_
happen: but it seemed to me that if you survive it, that's where you
start, with some sort of truth of being. But I won't subscribe
either to pessimism, it suits too many suspect agendas, including
that pathological internal desire which loves to see its own worst
fears realised. It's much easier to be pessimistic, because there is
always evidence for it; reason enough, I figure, to try the harder
road... no doubt that's why I'm a poet...
Best
Alison
--
Alison Croggon
Home page
http://www.users.bigpond.com/acroggon/
Masthead Online
http://au.geocities.com/masthead_2/
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