I live in a city of a bit less than forty thousand folks (pending a visit from the ICE Shutzstaffel) in the heart of New England (some have repeatedly suggested a different part of the anatomy) also known as Connecticut, "The Land of Steady Habits."
We often, perhaps too often, confuse talking about something with actually taking action and doing it. Part of the reason why, I suspect, is we have figured out that if we don't do anything (about downtown revitalization, the Occum Industrial Park, the stagnation in the growth of our municipal grand list, to say nothing of the heartbreak of psoriasis), we can't do anything wrong.
Some people in our state see us as losers, which is harsh but it takes one to know one, I guess, but I see us as 'discouraged experts,' when what we need are 'enthusiastic beginners.' If we had a spirit animal it would be Eeyore when what we could use is Tigger. I never get lost when walking because even total strangers are quick to tell me where to go. Hospitality is an acquired skill, it seems.
Point, in fact, we spend most of our time waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the subordinate clause that follows '..but...' as we allow our enjoyment of the many good things we could have to be marred by our concerns about the bad things that most assuredly are just around the corner.
A pessimist, I'm told, is somebody who feels bad when they feel good, out of fear that they'll feel worse when they feel better. There's always been more of that than needed and probably more than necessary. Especially here, and especially now.
This a tough time to be a positivist since so much of who we are and how we live seems to be devolving into nativist and tribal groupthink with little room for rational and reasoned discussion. We're in such fear of failing that we've given up trying which is the ultimate failure.
-bill kenny
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