Winning Words 2/28/13
“I’ve never seen a monument erected to a pessimist.”  (Paul Harvey)  The poster-child of pessimism is said to be the German philosopher, Schopenhauer.  After some searching I did find a statue of him in a Frankfurt park.  It captures his perpetual frown.  Harvey is right.  Pessimists don’t get the recognition that comes to optimists, like MLK, Jr.  “I have a dream!”  Statues are fine…but, more important is why they’ve been created.    ;-)  Jack

 FROM WALMART REV:  One of my favorite lines I use often: "Optimists invented the airplane . . . pessimists invented the parachute . . . realists fly the plane!!"////JACK:  Opportunists use it as a means of transportation.  I remember when people used to buy trip insurance before they took a flight.  I don't hear of many people doing that anymore.

 FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Paul Harvey was a very special man.  We loved to listen to his words and wisdom and kindness too.   He should have a statues but I know he would settle for uplifting and informing us all.////JACK:  I don't know if there's a statue of Paul Harvey, but he's buried in a mausoleum in Forest Home Cemetery, Cook County, Illinois.  Evangelist Billy Sunday is buried in the same cemetery.

 FROM RI IN BOSTON:  Wasn't it Charlie Brown's nemesis, Lucy, who said, "I'm very optimistic about my pessimism!"  Obviously she was working both sides of the street.////JACK:  That sounds like Lucy.  The rock band, Paramore, has a song lyric: "For a pessimist, I'm pretty optimistic."  I think that most of us walk on both sides of the street at one time or another.

 FROM ILLINOIS LIZ:  pessimists live longer, according to a new study. but i doubt it.////JACK:  I have a sign posted by my computer, "SAY NO to negative thinking."  You can copy it, if you want to.////LIZ:  i am getting a large & colorful tattoo that says "think before you do anything permanent."////JACK:  I didn't know that you were into "ink."

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  PESSIMISTS ARE NOT PLEASANT TO BE AROUND; THEY DRAG YOU DOWN! I JUST FINISHED READING "SEWARD" BY WALTER STAHR, AND AM NOW READING "JEFFERSON - THE ART OF POWER", AND YOU REALIZE THROUGH THESE HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHIES THAT EVERY ERA HAS HAD ITS CAUSE FOR PESSIMISM AND GREAT UNCERTAINTY,  BUT WE CARRY ON WITH HOPE IN OUR HEARTS!  WHY CONTINUALLY OBSESS OVER THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON??!////JACK:  The dark side is only dark, because it's been deprived of light.  I like the slogan of The Christophers..."It's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness."  How many times have you sung "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine?"

 FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER:  "Pessimists United" is a society that never realized its potential because the membership didn't trust each others judgement.////JACK:  You probably didn't know that actually is a Pessimists United organization.  I sent them your name as a possible candidate for membership.

 FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  I am definitely an optimist, and, as I said in my American Dream class yesterday, I prefer to hang out with the young and the young at heart.  No offense intended, but more of the men seemed to be pessimists than the women.  None of us have a statue as far as I know.////JACK:  I suppose that your sampling was pretty small.  I checked some studies and found evidence on both sides of the issue.  The results are inconclusive.  It generally depends on who you hang out with.  "Birds of a feather..."