Thursday, September 6, 2012

It Will Work

No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an unchartered land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.

Helen Keller
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Hello Sue
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"Aw, give it up. It'll never work . You'll never get there. Don't even try."

"You'll never raise enough money to do a lame brained idea like that."

"This is the stupidest piece of legislation I've ever seen. Be assured we will vote it down."

"Load it all on the donkey and walk. You don't need wheels."

"Come on. The Earth is flat, anyone can see that. You'll fall off the edge."

"Knock it off Orville. God did not intend for us to fly."

"Man can never go to the moon."

Some people just automatically develop an ornery attitude to any new idea. Can you imagine what our lives would be like if the pessimists and nihilists ruled the world?

I'm an artist, which means I'm an optimist. I have to be. Every work of art whether it's a painting, a song or a poem is like water onto a thirsty earth. Sometimes it's a big splash like the Mona Lisa or a Beethoven symphony. But no matter how small the droplet is it is a bit of refreshment and possible inspiration for the human spirit.

As an artist I roam through the world with a different eye and ear I love music and I hear it strange places. I hear horns in the passing trucks, strings playing through the branches of the trees on a windy day and drums and cymbals in the crashing waves. I once knew a playwright who cold write a play about anything. Give her a mathematical formula and out would come a play about it, with characters and drama. In one remarkable case I knew a high school senior who joined the Marine Corp to learn explosives and then worked doing special effects for Hollywood films.

In every case where an optimist has accomplished the impossible nobody dared say it couldn't be. It was. It is. Because somebody had the courage to know it was possible way back when no one thought about it.

We are discovering the secrets of the stars, finding unchartered lands and opening up new heavens for the human spirit.

DB - Vagabond Journeys
Never Give Up
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3 comments:

Arlene (AJ) said...

An interesting and so true site today DB. Being optimistic can change your life daily...if you allow yourself to be. Too many people are so depressed about everything that happens or doesn't happen in their life, guess I'd rather go the optimistic route and take my chances.

Geo. said...

Sometimes I find myself growling, "I'm an artist! I expect things!" Thanks for explaining why.

Ken Riches said...

Optimism is the only way I know to look at the world. My perspective comes from the Hobo Clown and as being a Project Manager, both endowed with eternal optimism.