Tuesday, April 17, 2012

O is for Optimism


Sometimes you just have to believe, whether it's rational or not, you just have to believe.  -Me

Don't give up.  Don't ever give up. - Jim Valvano
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I called this Blog the "Blog of Isms" for a reason.  Sure there is the obvious:  I have a son who has been diagnosed with Autism and he exhibits a significant deal of quirky little attributes that we lovingly refer to as "ISMS."  Indeed, my lovely wife and I have even co-opted the "ISMS" term when we refer to those quirky little things we see in each other which  drive each other crazy which make us so endearing to one another.  

Sure, this blog is about those things, but it is equally about my favorite -ism:  Optimism. 

I hope anyone who reads this blog gets the sense that we are very happy and that we try to remain very optimistic about today, about tomorrow and about the future. 

Don't get me wrong, there are dark days.  In fact, there are many dark days.  But dark days are hardly unique to us.  And I do my best not to share our dark days here.  Just glimpses of what life with Autism is like for us, hopefully with a positive, humorous spin. 

I seriously mean that.  I have failed in what it is I am doing here if anyone, let alone someone affected by Autism, reads this blog and feels negative in any way.  No matter how bad things can be, they could be worse, and they will get better.    

If I had a dollar, for ever time I saw my Little Man, do something new, or achieve some milestone that I thought at one point was impossible, I would be planning to build my very own McMansion right now.  

How do you get through the dark days?  Well, clichés of course!  Jeeze, I would be working on my second McMansion right now if I had a dollar for every cliché I uttered in the last year. 

There is a cliché for every occasion.   Truly.  In fact, in preparation for this post, I discovered an internet searchable cliché finder.  http://www.westegg.com/cliche/

But one of the most often repeated clichés in our house is this:  Life is a marathon, not a sprint. 

I can’t tell you why, but I believe they will find a remedy for Autism in our lifetime.  And, if they don’t we will enjoy the bejesus out of our time here playing the hand we’ve been dealt in the meantime.

7 comments:

  1. Hi Justin!
    I stopped on back by your blog (after you visited my Open Road post) and I am so glad I did. I LOVE your attitude and the quote by you above this post. I looked for a place to join your blog but couldn't find it. I think I have bookmarked it but I'm not sure. I will definitely subscribe by email...I like 'hanging out' with folks who CHOOSE positive and happiness, no matter what.

    Hope you have a chance to hitch a ride on my road trip blog! Best to you and your family!!!
    Carrie

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    1. Thanks for stopping by! I'm a little green in th blogging world and just added the connect gadget today.

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  2. Great attitude! This coming from a diehard fellow optimist.

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  3. optimism is a great ism to have:)
    Nutschell
    www.thewritingnut.com
    Happy A-Zing!

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  4. Well, I've been stopping by every day of the challenge for my daily dose of optimism from your blog, so, yes, I would say your posts come across as optimistic and also very real. Great blog!

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  5. Great post and really like the concept of this blog. Optimism is one of the things that draws me to people and their writing.

    Judy

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  6. Great post! It's the whole premise of my primary blog- to find something good in every day. I'm trying to visit all the A-Z Challenge Blogs this month. My alphabet is at myqualityday.blogspot.com

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