The age old question

I've been accused of a lot of things, but being an optimist isn't one of them. And yet, for reasons unknown to me, that's what I've been feeling like lately.

If you read a newspaper (old school) or listen to the news, all signs point towards pessimism, skepticism and cynicism (they were having a sale on "ism" so I picked up a few).

But this time I'm choosing to ignore the signs.

I get this feeling so rarely, at first I thought it was just gas. But then I noticed a few uncharacteristic signs, subtle though they were.

My outlook is a little cheerier. I'm smiling a little more often. I'm not dwelling on wrongs and injustices of the past. I'm enthusiastic about what the future holds.

And while I'm not singing Put On A Happy Face, Don' Worry Be Happy or Zippity Do Da - yet - people have noticed the change.

They say things like, "What's gotten into you?" and "I hardly recognized you with that smile on your face." I think I can explain the reason for all this positivity.

I got paid. A check in the mail. A big one. One I'd been waiting for. And as any freelancer will tell you, nothing puts a smile on your face and a skip in your step like getting paid.

Any freelancer will also tell you that the money was spent long before it ever got here. But the point is it got here. Christmas in July.

I know this will sound like a pessimistic thing to say, but I don't expect this optimistic feeling to last. In fact, it already started to subside after I deposited the check today. The reason is because I realized that, while a big number with plenty of zeros, it didn't come close to covering the amount I was into Balance Plus for.

I will say it was nice while it lasted.

So as I descend back into my pessimism, and endure the endless wait for other checks for the invoices gathering dust in my accounts receivable folder, I ponder the picture here and ask, as only a pessimist can be relied upon to do, the age old question.

Who the hell drinks water out of a glass anymore?