Today, I found this quote that I thought was worth sharing. “In the midst of challenge, we must believe that our behavior matters” – Michelle Gielan

    This quote truly is the exact definition of rational optimism. Ironically, I have always thought of myself as possessing rational optimism. Sometimes, I do. However, this may be one competency in which I struggle just as much as I succeed. This does excite me. The quote above is a beautiful example of this paradox. We acknowledge challenge but at the same time we must understand that our behavior matters and may make a difference. Notice that I used the word “may.” Use the word will instead of may, and I think the optimism loses its rationalism.  

    Certainly, I am a realist. As a person, I have always reflected on what I see, how the world is right now and the facts, the research and the proof.  As a teacher, I do my best (particularly in literature and social studies and science) to always deliver the realistic truth. Yet, I would be remiss if I did not admit to the challenges this sometimes brings with it. As a teacher, I usually choose read aloud novels that bring about a discussion of realistic optimism. For example, discussing homelessness through the novel of Crenshaw or exploring racism and oppositional perspectives regarding diversity through the novel Wishtree. Yet, displaying difficult topics and a real version of the world to my eight and nine year olds sometimes requires rose-colored glasses. As teachers of younger citizen-builders we have the job of presenting difficult topics with a glass “half-full” mentality. You can reveal a bit but not too much. You can say something but not everything. You can present one side but perhaps the other side may be “too much.” Finding a balance between presenting the truth yet remaining optimistic is so very difficult. And yet sometimes I think, in our society, everyone is walking through the world with rose-colored glasses. We see what we want to see. We help when it is convenient for us. We preach social change and social justice and yet we are not doing anything to place ourselves in this difficult conflict. 

    Today actually I traveled to a coffee shop with my brother and his fiance in Highland Park. It was placed in a really beautiful neighborhood, it had a great "coffee shop" vibe, and I greatly enjoyed looking around and viewing all the different faces of the world enjoying their cup of coffee for the day. Interestingly, when we parked the car on our way there, we parked right in front of a house. Actually, we do think that this particular house was actually two houses connected together because there were two separate front doors. Nevertheless, on the left side of the house were peace flags, acceptance posters and powerful quotes about love over hate. Interestingly, on the right side of the yard there were multiple posters with the completely opposite viewpoint certainly not reflecting an acceptance of diversity. My immediete thought was that these two people who live there were having a silent fight on their lawn as they tried to battle out their perspective opinions. However, as a few hours passed and we went back to the car, I could not help but notice that the signs on the right side of the house were completely gone. I would like to think they were not supposed to be there in the first place. I would also like to think that perhaps a passerby put them up as a joke to the people living on the left side of the house. Nevertheless, I could not help but realize that this yard was also the definition of rational optimism. Here, you have a yard presenting both the challenges of society as well as exhibiting this idea that our positive behavior does matter and helps to make a difference and propel the world in a forward-moving direction. Because with rational optimism you are walking around with a glass-half full but also a glass half-empty mentality at exactly the same time. Never has there been a more difficult perspective to balance or develop.

   And so before I leave this post, I ended the night with yet another example of rational optimism through the watching of The Parent Trap. The 1998 version and in my opinion the very best movie to ever exist. If you stop and think, however, this story is based on rational optimism. The girls know the challenges that lie ahead. They know their plan might not work. But don't they believe their behavior matters? Of course. They believe that swapping places may help to remedy the problem. They believe that if their parents see eachother again, they may in fact fall in love. There are open failures, setbacks, confusions. Yet, through it all, rational optimism remains at the forefront. Sometimes the glass is half-empty and other times, it is half-full.