I was originally going to write a story with the title above but I realized it won’t do it justice as I will be writing it hastily. I haven’t had too much time lately to do the things I want to do. I rarely talk to my friends from high school anymore for precisely the same reason. If I just talk to them in haste, then I wouldn’t be really communicating with them but is in a desperate attempt to maintain the friendship while undermining the significance of it all. 

I met a friend who once told me, “I can’t afford to be optimistic because I will get hurt eventually.” She will just be let down by it in the end opening up a side which was closed up for a reason so simple and yet fully justifies her actions, the side of vulnerability. She is right. Optimism is always going to be greeted by a sense of vulnerability at most occasions.

Wars, misfortunes, misconceptions, social marginalization and heartbreaks are going to get you there. You are going to be hurt terribly and you asked yourself a question, was it ever worth it at all? 

I feel inclined to tell you yes. I also feel inclined to also tell you no. I’m a fairly optimistic person because I just am. Lately, that sense of optimism hasn’t really been rewarded to make me start asking my own questions.

I once said to a couple of people, especially when the times get hard, when it seems like all is lost, that is the time you have to stay optimistic and keep hoping. Others see that in you and hopefully it sparks a turnaround. If there was never a sign of hope at all, then there would be no reason left to do anything. By anything I mean anything. That’s how strong hope is.

I don’t know about you. No one really takes their own advice. No? Sometimes, people just sweep things under the rug and never face the situation head on. That’s how most people stay optimistic. Just keep sweeping it underneath and keep moving on in life. Someday, they are going to catch up to you and at that point, you have to make a decision. 

Yes, optimism leads you to being vulnerable but you have to take the risk sometimes. If you never take it, then you will never realize the full potential of that hope you have. To love is a big risk, but people take it anyways because it can be so rewarding in the end.  I guess what I’m trying to say is if you lose it all because you were optimistic and you took the risk, hang in there. You will need time to recover. It does not mean you stop trying. Take all the time you need. At least be optimistic about one thing, that one day you will get back out there.