Blue Day
Have you heard the saying, “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and take what ever comes”? I remember first hearing it in college and thinking that it was a clever little bit of wisdom. Do I follow that little piece of advice? No, I sure don’t. I have a tendency to hope for the best and then get disappointed when it doesn’t happen.
For instance, this morning I decided to clean out my bookshelf and take the books I no longer wanted to a used bookstore and sell them. I was so proud of myself. What a great idea I had come up with. I loaded up my books, drove to the store, walked in, and dropped my box o’ books on the buying counter. The clerk told me to just walk around the store and they would call me when they had an offer for me.
I walked around that lovely store and began to think of all the cash I would soon have in my greedy little paw. Oh the things I would do with it! While I walked around I picked up a few books that I felt I couldn’t live with out (the main purpose for having me walk around the store I’m sure) until finally my name was called. Joyfully I walked up to the counter. I knew this was going to be good. The clerk looked at me and said, “Our offer for your books is $14.25. Will you take it?”
I was taken aback. “Uh…sure,” I replied. It was not what I expected. What was I going to do, pack my big boxful of books up and go home? I grabbed my receipt, put most of the books I was going to purchase back on the shelf, and went to the cashier for my money.
I know some of you are thinking that it was silly of me to think I would get decent money for those books and I know you’re right. But it was a BIG box of books and most of them were fairly new. I took my money home (I made them dispose of the box for me) and decided that next time I would sell my books on ebay.
Later on I received a much anticipated package in the mail. I had ordered some jewelry off the internet. It was on clearance (non-returnable) and a terrific deal. I couldn’t wait to get it. Well, it came today and it was the cheapest, cheesiest stuff you have ever seen. I was seriously bummed. I guess I should’ve remembered the saying, “If it’s too good to be true, it usually is”.
Another thing I’ve been dealing with recently is adult family members not behaving like the grown ups they are. I won’t go into any details since some of them might be reading this (Hi!) but just let me say that when faced with a stressful family situation some of the adults involved have given a less than stellar performance.
So, if you couldn’t tell I’m a little blue today. I’m wondering if it’s better to live as an optimist and at times be disappointed with what life brings you, which I would say is my current method of operation, or live as a pessimist who is at times pleasantly surprised. What do you think?
Hey, didn’t I see a commercial for large-sized M&Ms or was that the wishful thinking of an optimist too? I wonder where I can get some.
Yes, the large sized M&Ms are for real, and they are real good too.
I know how you feel, I took my collection of football cards to the shop. I’m talking boxes and boxes, big boxes! The offer was so low I thought he was joking. I didn’t take it. I put them in my wife’s garage sale and got a few bucks. At least I didn’t let the card shop owner rip me off, I let the garage sale people do it instead.
If life wasn’t such a bummer, we’d all be happy…all the time.
Comment by don — September 19, 2005 @ 10:13 pm
You should try selling your books used on Amazon.com — it works pretty well and you can avoid the awful embarrassment of selling your birthright in a bookstore.
Comment by Steve Evans — September 20, 2005 @ 6:53 am
I’m of the pleasantly-surprised pessimist persuasion.
And in my family, very few adults are actually grown ups.
Comment by Susan M — September 20, 2005 @ 7:20 am
Kristen, I know how you feel. I used to be an eternal optimist. In fact, I think I still am deep own inside. However, my grandmother, the cynic always would say expect the least and you’ll never be disappointed. It is a horrible way to live a life. I think it could be the reason my mom made some of her terrible mistakes in life.
I think we have have to have an air of possibility about us. If not when we get blue, we stay blue longer. Not a “pollyanna” approach always but at least a “give ’em the benefit of the doubt” kind of thinking.
However, commerce being what it is today, I always think of PT Barnum when i see a deal that is far from the norm. I have been on the receiving of of suckerdom and I don’t like the feeling one bit. So as others have stated, i decide who and when I’ll be suckered by. It comes after many times being to sheepish to say no. The worst was at the hairdresser’s once. Ugh! I could on and on about that one. But the less said the better…
by the way, at my blog, I do have a side by side comparison of the not so large vs the regular m&ms if you need to do some comparison judging before you buy this time. ;-)
Comment by chronicler — September 20, 2005 @ 11:10 am
Sweet chronicler I’ll be right over. I like the way you said, “an air of possibility”. That sounds nice. Geoff was calling it “guarded optimism”.
Don, you say that so flippantly to those of us who have yet to try the big M&Ms. Where does one buy these behemoths of joy?
Comment by Kristen J — September 20, 2005 @ 11:51 am