This is a new kind of thinking for me. Can you be an optimist and a realist at the same time? Or does that add up to stoicism? Not that I put on a brave face, or that I’m courageous, for that matter. I am not a hero. Sure, I’ve been through some ordeals, tough times. But I always managed to accept life on life’s terms, and up to this point, I found those terms acceptable. I was able to take on whatever came my way, forge through it, no matter what. Now my attempt to make any sense of it leaves me feeling indifferent. I’m numb. Weary. Optimism, as a frame of mind, is not saving me.
