Good News #1

My grandpa used to be one of the most optimistic people I knew.

Apparently with age, life experiences, and a few too many copies Latin tabloids, a bit of his sunny outlook on life has faded.

We were sitting together at the dinner table with my mom enjoying some very delicious Home Run Inn pizza and just chatting about the family, the neighborhood and the news.  After a while, I realized that my grandpa was telling some pretty depressing stories that were close to ruining my half-mushroom, half-sausage slice of goodness.

"Then this one girl got raped...", "Never trust anybody...", "If you see someone on the side of the road and no one is around, keep driving because I read about this one girl who did...".

To which I replied...

"But grandpa, how about you tell me one of the good news stories you've read."

-"There is no good news."

Isn't that just one of the darkest things you can hear from a family figure who used to crawl around on the floor with you and tell you wild stories about finding Aztec gold?

SO, after hearing this, I quickly announced that it would be my mission to start writing about the good news I read or heard about so that maybe I can keep holding on to some of my childhood idealism while it lasts.  I like to think that I can always hold on to the notion that there is always good in the world, but I guess sometimes we just need to remind ourselves.

Here's good news story #1 - The first of what I hope will be many installments :)

Stay positive!

The search for extraordinary

I always say that I have absolutely no natural talent. It seems ridiculous, critical and condescending towards myself but it's how I feel and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Everything that I do well in I have to work hard at - everything from school and work, to cooking and my late-night jogs. I want an extraordinary talent, some kind of expertise - even just something in which I can be above average. What's that phrase? Ah yes - it feels as if I am a "Jack of all trades, master of none."

What do I mean by extraordinary? Take a look at this.

Stephen Wiltshire of London took a 20 minute helicopter ride across the New York City skyline and once on land, began sketching a complete detailed panorama on canvas, by memory alone, of 305 square miles of the Big Apple.

The article about the artist goes on to discuss his life with autism, dealing with impaired social and linguistic abilities it brings, and a progressive and intense artistic skill that emerged and perfected with age.

Did this extraordinary talent come at the cost of a impairment? Are our lives all about give and take by whatever cosmic force one believes in? Perhaps it's a universal way to maintain balance within ourselves. Excel in one aspect of your life to make up for some kind of inadequacy?

It seems a bit too convenient and far too generalized to say that this always applies to every aspect of life. If anything, keeping this theory in mind just might help stay positive about the good in life and optimistic about the people we are.

As for me... In high school, I was no track star, but did a hell of a job as an editor for our yearbook and newspaper. Give me a math book, expect a blank stare; give me Love in the Time of Cholera and I can talk about every literary detail for hours on end. I could never draw that mind-blowing panorama of NYC, but I can artistically put together a beautiful and delicious meal in the kitchen, with a lot of time and effort of course.

While I'm still searching for what's extraordinary in me, it seems like I'm on the right track. Just have to recognize it for myself.

What are your balances in life?