Wake up feeling like P. Diddy and Ke$ha circa 2009. Look outside and see a beautiful sky, some trees for climbing and some life worth living.
Life as a perpetual optimist came on strong, not unlike a man in Sperry’s at the KK. I wasn’t upset about it, just surprised at how forward people -- and positivity -- can be.
It’s a conscious choice. When bad things happen, shake them off. When life hits you with a baseball bat, pretend you’re just a home run soaring through the pain. It’s corny as Illinois and idiotic like still jamming to Riff Raff, but it works.
Not everyday will be shiny. Some days fling shit at you until you are covered and unable to find an appropriate shower. On those days, I just sit down and laugh. Rough, covered and miserable from a bad day, you just have to laugh. Things will always be brighter tomorrow, unless your bad day left you blind. In that case, I guess pessimism might have to do you for now.
Sometimes sadness chases us and hits our heels. And you kick it back but can’t stop the impending doom. You want to stop, collapse, relax in the comfort. And I think we all have. But the ideal optimist shirks the fear of falling and keeps running, careening at hope and desire with the knowledge that striving for pipe dreams and falling is better than standing still and watching the world move around while you stagnate.
So every morning, the perpetual optimist winks at herself. Says, “Damn, you look amazing. Nothing can stop you. If Sia can be famous without showing her face, imagine what I can do with dat face! Good thing you didn’t get that nose job last year!” She goes through the day with the determination of a squirrel hunting for nuts and the tenacity of a fat kid running her first 5K. It’s not about the ending, but how you enjoy the journey. But getting da nuts and the participation trophy do have their perks.
When this optimistic soul goes out on the town, she takes the dance floor at Wando’s and pretends to break it down like a hip hop legend. She drinks rail mixers and tells herself it’s Patron. She holds her friend’s hair while she pukes and hopes it will be a funnier story in the morning than it feels in the moment. And she keeps on smiling at the luck she has to live in the best of cities with the best of friends.
The perpetual optimist hits the pillow at 3 a.m. after accidentally spending $40 on Red Shed long islands and chuckles at the memories. She looks around at her goofy apartment and knick knacks that should have been destroyed in the 90s. Beanie Babies will be worth something someday. She knows that life will not be perfect, nor should it be. But each day is a gleaming opportunity for joy and smiles. And with that outlook, it will be.
