The Delicate Balance

There exists a delicate balance between pessimism and optimism. I speak today of the kind that relates to dating and relationships. As I am now in my late 20's and as am yet unattached, there are certain assumptions that can be made. One, I have not found someone willing to tolerate my idiosyncrasies. Two, any previous relationships I may have had have ended with a parting of ways. Three, there is still someone out there for me.

I came to the conclusion a couple of months ago that I needed a different way to meet people than just my singles ward. One reason being that I believe church should be a place to worship, not scope out the prospects. (Not to say that I don't do it anyway, it's just not my main focus) I also have been taking an institute class at the U. I recently have decided to try meeting people online. There is an element of intrigue and also a detachment to the screening process. If you don't like someone, you don't have to talk to them. I have chatted online with several people but so far have only spoken on the phone with one person. Something about his emails struck a chord with me and so we have been communicating on a regular basis. Through our almost daily chats I have become quite fond of this guy and have found myself with an interesting dilemma. We are the sum of our experiences. Whether they spoil us or make us stronger is entirely up to us. Now previous experience has ingrained in me the natural tendency to be pessimistic of any possible romance. But, one of the things I truly believe is that we make our own luck. If you go into a situation expecting the worst, 9 times out of 10 you will be right. But there is also a danger in being too optimistic. If you expect too much or have too much hope the pain is greater if things don't work out. So how do you find the balance? I don't know. But one thing I do know is that though my experiences tell me to be pessimistic I can't help but be optimistic this time. It's a scary thing optimism, especially when you are not accustomed to it. So all I can do is be positive and take comfort in the fact that no matter the outcome, I probably won't regret taking a chance. Because, like I said, positive or negative we are the sum of our experiences it is what we choose to do with those experiences that makes the difference.