Cynic's Antidote

Just got back from the Mountain Jam and Bonnaroo music festivals, and I’m so happy.

I was thinking today after work, about how fun it was running around on Hunter Mountain in the rain and the Bonnaroo farm in the heat, and also how almost all of the people I met were so loving to me and similarly interested in the things I liked. The daydream continued throughout my walk to the train and I had a bit of a personal revelation:

If you’re attracted to someone – anyone – then “the everybody” can’t be bad. And if you can think that everybody is even partly good, then who knows just exactly how good it is. Everybody could be all good, practically speaking. And that potential is so enlightening and up lifting. Knowing that makes the act of attraction, good in and of itself.

Anytime, even a brief instant, spent with a person (or people) that you really dig is time well spent. That instant is all the medicine you need to keep yourself inoculated against cynicism and open to the wonderfulness of life.

And if all you get is that one instant, and you never get to follow through on that attraction with anyone or any group, don’t worry – you’ve still won the cosmic lotto. Simply getting to experience anything at all is incredibly rare, and you’ve managed to experience something good!

But if you find yourself continuously in situations where you’re attracted to people, then lucky you – all the better.

And if, over and over again, you find yourself in those situations with the same people, then congratulations – you’ve found your family!

And if you’re there repeatedly with the same one person, then consider yourself absolutely blessed, because you’ve found love and that person is your wife.

In the end I just want to say thank you, family; you know who you are, and I love you all. And to all the others who happen to be reading this:  whether you’ve got your own family already or not, know you’re always welcome to join mine.