My name is Christy, and I am an optimist.
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Usually, this is a good thing. I keep my smile when other people are sad, help them to see the brighter side of things, and get them laughing with a silly joke or a bad pun. It’s a calling.
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However, in the light of the current pandemic, even my eternal optimism is getting a bit battered. The chinks in the armor are getting wider with each bit of frightening news, and my normal means of coping with such news are less effective as they used to be.
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My technique was usually to find something good, such as the following Irish method:
In prior times, I could count on SOMETHING. If I had home stress, I could count on my job. If I had job stress, I could count on my health. If I had health stress, I could count on my friends.
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Everything at once seems so unfair. Even I, the eternal optimist, am feeling battered.
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Oddly, I think pessimists are better equipped to handle this sort of situation. They are USED to pushing through despair and getting things done anyhow. They have the tools I currently need to sally forth and continue in the face of countless uncertainties.
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At the moment, I almost envy them.
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And yet, as Mr. Rogers once said:
So that’s what I’m doing. I’m looking for those who are taking this dark time and bringing a bit of candlelight to the gloom.
- The nurses and doctors on the front lines, taking care of people at risk of their own lives
- The delivery drivers pushing through the night to get supplies where they need to be
- The waitresses and cooks working at restaurants closed to all but delivery and pickup, uncertain if they will get enough pay to cover their bills
- Grocery store workers stocking the shelves
- Emergency personnel looking out for our vital services
- Scientists working around the clock to find a vaccine or cure for this threat
These are our helpers. These are the people who are vital to our lives. Coincidentally, some of these people are those that have been looked down upon as ‘unskilled labor’ and unworthy of decent pay, sick leave, and decent consideration.
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It’s time to change those attitudes. Thank them. Tip them overgenerously. Give them a living wage. Appreciate them.
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And look upon them as the helpers we so desperately need.
Celtic Fairies, Fables, and Folklore! Bestselling author (top #100 Amazon Canada, #1 in Paranormal Fantasy, Amazon Canada) Christy Nicholas, also known as Green Dragon, is an author, artist and accountant. After she failed to become an airline pilot, she quit her ceaseless pursuit of careers that begin with 'A', and decided to concentrate on her writing. Since she has Project Completion Disorder, she is one of the few authors with NO unfinished novels. Christy has her hands in many crafts, including digital art, beaded jewelry, writing, and photography. In real life, she's a CPA, but having grown up with art all around her (her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother are/were all artists), it sort of infected her, as it were. She wants to expose the incredible beauty in this world, hidden beneath the everyday grime of familiarity and habit, and share it with others. She uses characters out of time and places infused with magic and myth. Combine this love of beauty with a bit of financial sense and you get an art business. She does local art and craft shows, as well as sending her art to various science fiction conventions throughout the country and abroad. Facebook: www.facebook.com/greendragonauthor Homepage: www.greendragonartist.com Blog: www.greendragonartist.net Twitter: www.twitter.com/greendragon9
Historical fantasy, time travel adventure, and urban fantasy 
Well said. I agree 100%.
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Great post; especially the worry poster. I find that my optimism is higher when I look at 90% of the news as given to scare you so you will watch.
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