A Week of Positives

Last week the library finally got to me Barbara Ehrenreich's Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America.  Months ago I saw her on Jon Stewart's Daily Show promoting the book, and I immediately ordered it from the library.  It was a quick read; I think mostly because I readily agreed with a lot of what she had to say.

I've never been one whose first reaction happily sees the glass as half-full.  I'm the one thinking, "Well, the glass is half-full and half-empty; I wonder if I am seeing this glass after someone drank from it, or before it's been filled completely?  If someone drank from it, does the water not taste good?  Was it from a filter?  If the glass still needs filled, was the waiter distracted by a question from the patron?  What was she asking?"  In other words, I turn situations into puzzles needing solved and most definitely do not take things blankly at face value and go on about life as a Pollyanna.

Ehrenreich's book takes us through journeys of health care in America while diagnosed with breast cancer, perceived deadliness of negativity, American exceptionalism of Positivist Thought, the motivational side of business, and my favorite, "How Positive Thinking Destroyed the Economy." Thankfully so far I have not had any nightmares from seeing one of the Get Motivated! seminars in Columbus, Ohio a few years ago, when we all still thought featured speaker Rudy Giuliani was going to be named to the R Presidential ticket.

That experience was extremely enmeshed and layered with patriotism, invocations of God and the Bible, and how to invest smartly in the stock market, all surrounded by red, white, and blue color themes.  Go America!  I found myself wondering if there was such a thing as religious harassment while on the job.  And if we were going to be so damn patriotic, well it sure as heck should've been next to a grill, while firing up burgers and sipping ice-cold Buds, for crying out loud!

Something I remember from my U.S. in Vietnam college history class was examining how Group Think led to many, many wrong decisions.  I know how painful it is to have to work with somebody whose ideas don't mesh with your own, but these annoying people really are needed.  Instead, they are swiftly kicked out of the tightly-knit "happy-thoughts-only" circle, most likely having been fired by a George Clooney-esque character, à la Up in the Air.

Well for anyone who wants a look at America's exceptionalist Positive nature and/or why we are in a downward spiral to mediocrity which will be the end of everything us Americans love about America, I highly recommend this book.

The other big Positive things for the week were the French Open women's and men's finals.  First,  Italian Francesca Schiavone won the woman's final on Saturday.  She will turn 30 years of age in a couple of weeks, making her the oldest first-time Grand-Slam champion since 1969. (Grand Slam being the annual Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open; Oz and US are played on hard courts, the French on clay, and the big W on grass.) Tomorrow, when the new rankings are released, she will make her debut in the top 10. Quote of the week from Schiavone: “This means that everybody has a chance. To be who you really want to be, and to do everything in your life. This is what’s happened to me.”

What a grand way to close a championship, where the biggest women's tennis news so far had been Venus Williams' racy outfit.

Today, Spaniard and Master of Clay Rafael Nadal won the men's final against the only man who has ever beaten him before at the French: Robin Soderling of Sweden. That beating happened in the 4th round last year, the year that knee trouble plagued the hard-hitting Spaniard.  Nadal today won 5 of the last 6 years' French Open championships.  He did it in great form: no white tape circled under his knees.  He did it with mastery: for the 2nd time, he won this championship without dropping a set.  He did it with grace: at the awards ceremony, spoke to the crowd in French and humbly joked to his opponent that if he himself hadn't played his best, then he wouldn't have won.

Nadal and Schiavone won not by wishing Pollyanna thoughts upon themselves and cutting off critics, but through years of determination, hard work, and learning from mistakes and revising for the next match.  Schiavone showed us that even late in one's professional career, victory and top rankings can come.  Nadal showed us that even though the world's best can trip up, the comeback can be stronger and defeat the previous victor. They did it with style and grace, and the infectious smiles on their faces are impossible not to imitate.