Sometimes the slogan and jargon ride, gets way off the tracks. Somebody says a “catchy” something, and before you know it, everyone is jumping aboard.
Like the Ice Bucket Challenge. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE that it raised a caboodle of money for ALS. Buckets of money. But everyone had to jump on the hoopla, just because it was cool to be doing the ice-bucket-thing. No pun intended.
If I were Queen of the world, I just think it would be better if people were genuinely generous, and give that kind of care and concern, without all the hoo-ha. Most of them didn’t know what ALS is. But again, in the end, it was very good for ALS Research. So. Ends vs. the Means, I guess.
But this isn’t about that. No.
Last night, I was looking up at the moon. It was beautiful, floating up there in the night sky, with all the little stars gathering about. All the while, Lew was peeing on the little tree by our driveway.
But, the moon. Yes. It was half-full last night. Or thereabouts.
And that got me thinking about the glass half-full, half-empty analogy. Everyone likes to use that jargon when it comes to speaking about optimism, or pessimism. I say it is bunk, if I were Queen, of course. I don’t think it says one darn thing about someone’s personality if you say the glass is half empty. I propose that the response depends entirely on the situation.
Floyd is drinking the water from the glass. He sets it down. Someone says, “Well, old Floyd drank that glass of water half empty.” We would never say he drank it half full. It would be goofy words, that way.
Now let’s say Floyd is pouring the water into the glass. He stops and sets it down. Someone notices, and says, “Floyd poured that glass half full.” We would never say he filled it half empty. It wouldn’t make sense.
There are a lot of things that go that way. Say. People are getting off the train. You are waiting to pick up Aunt Edna. Your husband asks how many people have gotten off the train so far. You say, “It is about half-empty at this point.”
Filling a flat tire.
A hot air balloon that is crashing toward the ground, leaking air.
The pot of soup after the line of people go through.
I suggest that it isn’t optimism or pessimism. It is merely descriptive of the particular situation. I say.
If I were Queen.
But then again. There would be a whole-BIG-lot of things, I would change, if I were Queen.
So.
Last night, I looked up to the sky, and the moon was half-empty. Beautiful.
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“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
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“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”
― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
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“What day is it?”
It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
My favorite day,” said Pooh.”
― A.A. Milne
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