Teaching a Pessimist
In a song from Lion King II, Simba sings to his daughter, “As you go through life you’ll see there is so much that we don’t understand, and the only thing I know is things don’t always go the way we planned”, I have lived much of my life with a grumpy and pessimistic outlook, even when I laughed I was sure something depressing was soon to follow. This pessimism was not because I had a bad life, instead it was because of my perfectionism. Throughout my life, I have tried to become a “peachy” person, but it wasn’t until I watched death and loss of freedom, that I understood the value of life.
One day in early-April, I walked down Courtland Street, making a right towards Main Street, where Saint Joseph’s Hospital stood. …show more content…
It was fate for my grandfather to become ill at this doctors hands. It was fate for the doctor to avoid protocol and continue the procedure, and it was fate for me to be a 19 year old teenager watching someone lose their life. I do not understand why we are placed on Earth, or the point of many religious observances, but I do understand that God has created us for a purpose, whether to learn lessons, or be lessons. And I believe this situation was nothing less than one of the most important lessons of life. A lesson we are each taught through difference …show more content…
In that very instant, I could have walked to the nearest park and played on the swings, I could have gotten stung by a bee, or sat on a bench. These were all actions my grandfather could not perform even if he wished. In that moment I decided to change my perspective on life not because I was scared of dying, but because I was scared of becoming trapped, becoming ill or crippled and never being able to enjoy the simple pleasures such as walking in the rain. After standing in the rain for what seemed to feel like hours, I continued towards the newly renovated entrance with it large doors that led visitors into the hotel like entrance. After receiving a guest pass, I walked the hallways smiling at people. It not that I never smiled before, but smiling at others was something I usually did only when I made eye contact. I used to be a selective smiler, but I have tried and still try to smile at strangers, because you never know what that simple action can mean for
In a song from Lion King II, Simba sings to his daughter, “As you go through life you’ll see there is so much that we don’t understand, and the only thing I know is things don’t always go the way we planned”, I have lived much of my life with a grumpy and pessimistic outlook, even when I laughed I was sure something depressing was soon to follow. This pessimism was not because I had a bad life, instead it was because of my perfectionism. Throughout my life, I have tried to become a “peachy” person, but it wasn’t until I watched death and loss of freedom, that I understood the value of life.
One day in early-April, I walked down Courtland Street, making a right towards Main Street, where Saint Joseph’s Hospital stood. …show more content…
It was fate for my grandfather to become ill at this doctors hands. It was fate for the doctor to avoid protocol and continue the procedure, and it was fate for me to be a 19 year old teenager watching someone lose their life. I do not understand why we are placed on Earth, or the point of many religious observances, but I do understand that God has created us for a purpose, whether to learn lessons, or be lessons. And I believe this situation was nothing less than one of the most important lessons of life. A lesson we are each taught through difference …show more content…
In that very instant, I could have walked to the nearest park and played on the swings, I could have gotten stung by a bee, or sat on a bench. These were all actions my grandfather could not perform even if he wished. In that moment I decided to change my perspective on life not because I was scared of dying, but because I was scared of becoming trapped, becoming ill or crippled and never being able to enjoy the simple pleasures such as walking in the rain. After standing in the rain for what seemed to feel like hours, I continued towards the newly renovated entrance with it large doors that led visitors into the hotel like entrance. After receiving a guest pass, I walked the hallways smiling at people. It not that I never smiled before, but smiling at others was something I usually did only when I made eye contact. I used to be a selective smiler, but I have tried and still try to smile at strangers, because you never know what that simple action can mean for