A (tongue in cheek) Theory of Negativity

            I’ve been having a word or two with myself for not posting in awhile. In the beginning I committed to myself, and to you who give me time out of your day, to post at least once a week, and I’ve been lax. I can say that I’ve been writing a new story, editing an old story and doing re-writes on one in between, all of which is true. I can say that I took a long weekend to see my eleven year-old son who was visiting from France, a truly meaningful time for me. I can say that my time and attention have been claimed by a number of other things (like that cursed thing, work) which cannot be denied, and all these things would be true, but they would be excuses and not reasons for not posting. The reason I haven’t posted in awhile is that, recently, I’ve been under the sway of negativity – negativity in the form of dissatisfaction.

            Just about anything produces in me a negative reaction: government at every level, insurance companies, rich people, poor people, banks (don’t get me started on banks), you name it. I try to keep my mouth shut. I mean, people are discouraged enough without having to hear my negative two cents worth. I’m successful about half the time. Yesterday I backslid. Someone said that something was on sale at Walmart. The first thing out of my mouth was, “Walmart has financially impoverished every community it has entered.” And while that’s true of Walmart and every other big national chain, it was a negative comment.

            I wonder if my attitude has anything to do with male menopause. Yes, men go through a change of life, too. I wish they’d find another name for it, something unique to men, like testosteropause or something. Oh, well. That isn’t important.

            I don’t like being negative. I want to be upbeat and positive, but I realized something on my way home after work. The negativity caused by dissatisfaction is what has moved civilization forward.

            Yep. You heard it here first. Negativity is the catalyst that moves civilization forward.

            Okay. Here’s my reasoning. As children we heard it said that ‘necessity is the mother of invention’, but I beg to differ. I propose that every invention that improved life or made it easier came because someone was dissatisfied with things as they were.

            Picture it. Go back with me for a moment to a time in the ancient past. We can’t see in the utter darkness of the cave, but we hear the curses as some young mother stubs her toe, again, in the dark as she goes to soothe her crying child. “Why does it have to be so dark?” she might have said, to which her patient and long suffering husband may have replied, “It is better, dear wife, to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” To which she replied, “Candle? What’s a candle?”

            Ah hah. See my point? The negativity caused by our dissatisfaction moves us forward. With that in mind, I don’t feel quite so down on myself. I wonder where my dissatisfaction will lead me.

            Thanks for your time.