December 29, 2011

Glass half empty kinda girl...

There I've said it!  I've just never understood those perpetually optimistic people who view the world with positivity and silver linings.  I'm married to one, and it's been 29 years of  clashing perceptions.  Our "glass" has had more half full vs. half empty debates, I'm sure that glass is cracked by now.  Believe me, I WISH I was a "half full" kinda girl.  But, I truly believe I am just wired to naturally recognize the negative first.  But there IS a positive in that...I'm genuinely surprised and happy when the negative DOESN'T happen!  It's all good, right?

I even approach some of my favorite things this way.  For example, I NEVER shop with a purpose.  Rather, I wander into my favorite stores with the idea that I am looking for NOTHING....I'm just browsing...seriously, just browsing so don't bug me sales people. So when the perfect pair of brown leather riding boots, that actually hit right below my knee and not mid-way up my shin, and are fit to a skinny calf (let me tell ya, next to IMPOSSIBLE to find!) find me...I feel TRULY blessed!  Hallelujah and thanks be to the shopping Gods (FYI, the Shopping Gods blessed me at DSW a couple weeks ago!) No way, no how, would I find those boots if I entered that store positive and optimistic that I was going to have a new bundle of joy in my closet that night.  Just my little way of tricking fate, expect nothing.






Which brings me to my least favorite day of the year that is quickly approaching...the dreaded New Year's Eve.  There!  I've copped to that too.  I know, I know...it's a time of celebration, of new beginnings, of endless opportunities, blah, blah, blah.  For as long as I can remember, New Year's Eve has made me sad, and Dick Clark got on my nerves.  Even as a little girl, when that ball dropped in Times Square...my heart dropped a bit with it.  It always represented time passing by another year in the books, and a  new year of uncertainties.   What does the future hold, would I be happy about it?  Expect nothing.   At worst I'm not disappointed, and at best I'm happily surprised.   Glass half empty.  This drives my Better Half CRAZY, and quite honestly...it isn't a fun way to approach life.






But something has clicked within me this past year.  It might be 29 years of my Better Half rubbing off on me...altho I'd NEVER cop to THAT!  It could be once you reach a certain age and life experiences perceptions are bound to morph.  Or it could be it's just time to shake things up and feel less burdened.  But 2012, I am going to try to approach with anticipation rather than dread.  Because if you change nothing then....nothing will change.  Actually, I think Sophia Loren hit it on the head. Anyone who has found the secret to a gorgeous figure by carbo-loading has my attention...


"There is a fountain of youth...it is your mind,
your talents, the creativity you bring to your life
and the lives of the people you love.
When you learn to tap into this source,
you will have truly defeated age"


--Sophia Loren






And I've started to do exactly that this past year thru photography and blogging.  I'm finally tapping into my creativity.  Lest my Better Half get TOO excited that he finally brought me over from the dark side,
in full disclosure I have to say I will STILL act pessimistic and downright trodden upon when I go shopping!  Otherwise I will NEVER find that perfect little black dress I need to wear to my 35th high school reunion this spring.  But...I AM optimistic that I'm gonna look great in it!


--Kathy





19 comments:

  1. I prefer to think that I am the glass half-full kind of girl...but I, like you, tend to the see the negative side first.
    This coming year, I have decided to meet things full on and enjoy every moments and make everything a positive...wish me luck :)

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  2. Too true, I think one can be overly optimistic and then be disappointed when things don’t turn out as glamorous as imagined.

    For that reason I do my best never to look forward to trips. I’ll plan things, but I won’t over-sell them to myself or others, and that way I’m almost always pleasantly surprised with the end result. :-)

    (Oh and those boots sound AMAZING!)

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  3. I think I fall sorta in the middle, and I guess it depends on the situation. I love your honesty and I would love a pair of those boots, but I have the opposite problem that you have....wide calves, not skinny. I blame someone in my family (genes) for that. Great shots of the hour-glass, but I am looking forward to the New Year, need for this last one to be over....

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  4. Love your shots of the hourglass and the bokeh - very nice! I love the quote - I've tucked that one away for use later . . . I'm hoping you have a wonderful New Year's Eve and the BEST in 2012!!

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  5. I think that if your glass is always 1/2 empty you should get a smaller glass!!!!

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  6. I'm definitely an optimistic kind of person. The drawback is that when something goes terribly wrong I am never expecting it. I always think everything's going to be just fine!

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  7. Now see?!?! I think I should get a bigger one!

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  8. I love this post-it's the opposite in my house. i'm the gal with the glass half full...maybe that's why I CAN"T find that perfect anything when I go shopping!! hee hee!
    I think it's a great balance between the half full, half empty couple! I stopped celebrating the new year...I never really got out of it what others seem too. Once I made a life style change to my attitude, it's a year 'round thing that doesn't start or stop just because there's a new year on the calendar. And btw...LOVE LOVE LOVE that 2nd shot....wow....
    Happy New Year Kathy!

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  9. Yep, You and your hubby sound just like me and my hubby.. He is the glass half empty kinda guy! He says he is just being practical and I need to get my head out of the clouds. I don't think I have rubbed off on him yet! Someday my friend.. I just know I will! Once again you got me smiling reading your blog..

    Thanks my friend..

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  10. you crack me up! My hubbie is half empty and I am half full - it is exhausting at times! BUT - in all honesty - I could really care less about New Year's - it's just another day - right??

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  11. My husband feels it's better to be the glass have empty kind as then you're prepared for the worst instead of surprised by it but I cannot think that way. I always believe th best will happen!

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  12. i always told my boys "expect nothing and you will never be disappointed"!!

    i think blogging has really changed my life. finding a community of people who are creative, joyfull and optimistic. i always surround myself with happy people, who lift me up and make me smile!!

    you left a comment on my blog about finding "fun" stuff to do. i wanted to tell you that i find much of it through "google". just google "fun things to do for christmas/winter/summer...when it's raining, you will be amazed at what pops up.

    hershey pa. is wonderful at christmas, they have a dinner show and drive through christmas light display. also there is a place near new hope, pa. called peddlers village, that is a must see at christmas. another great christmas trip is longwood gardens, also in pa.

    we are empty nesters, living the good life!!

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  13. I'm on the fence about glasses here. I have both my half empty/half full moments - just depends where I'm at - had you asked me yesterday - HALF EMPTY for sure. But at any rate, I feel you here. And I wonder, too, if it is just my being overly realistic that gets in the way of my glasses tending to be half empty as opposed to half full sometimes? By the way, I also have skinny calves and find it next to near impossible to find boots to fit them! One year I went an entire season completely bootless because of it. Try Uggs. They always fit and even if they don't, no one would know the difference because they won't sag at the ankles. I think it's all that sheep fur inside them that keep those babies up and in place! :)

    I thought your post very thoughtful, Kathy. Because while I do look forward to the new year (and not the partying 'Whoo hoo' part of it mind you), but the "wiping of the slate clean" part, the "new beginnings" part - I can definitely understand your feeling sad once they drop the ball. I always do and always too, felt sad that is. It is sad. Saying goodbye nearly always seems to be a sad thing - even if its a good thing. So I feel you there as well.

    And I love your honesty here. Brilliant!

    And your "better half" is funny. LOL...

    And your photographs, as always, are lovely. :)

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  14. What a wonderful post. I guess I would be the glass half full...but I usually go into it thinking the best. If it doesn't work out that's ok too. It has to get better right....

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  15. I am an optimist! Half full baby, half full..giggle
    I know you will look great in the LBD too.
    Thank you for linking to the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop at Katherines corner xo

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  16. I absolutely LOVE that middle shot. The composition is great, and the bokeh in the background is very cool. Thanks for showing off your shot!

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  17. Really great photos, and I totally get where you're coming from. I'm optimistic that 2012 is going to change things up a bit and be a great year :)

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  18. I so agree with you - I try to live in the moment and not have expectations beyond that. I also hate all that forced jollity around New Year's Eve. (Btw I am seriously loving your hour glass shots!).

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  19. I understand- I do get those feelings of dread- dreading tax time looming, dreading the kids getting older, dreading all the things that come up that I was so happy once they had passed by that year. But there are all those things I look forward to as well. So I am going to try to focus on those this time :) It's a vicious cycle.

    LOVE that hourglass by the way- it's gorgeous as are your photos of it.

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