Comfort, Hope and Optimism

A friend of mine, like a brother to me, got engaged this weekend and his engagement gives me great comfort, hope, and optimism.

I stay abreast of current events and our world by reading the Post, the Times, the Journal, the Economist, and watching the Daily Show. I take the news with a grain of salt and understand that my opinions are gross simplifications. Nonetheless, I think I understand the nature, practices and policies of people and governments in wealthy nations. In this context, I find myself frequently frustrated with the tendency to allocate much higher values to short-term perspectives over long-term perspectives and future considerations. Based on the economic, political, and social policies and practices in wealthy nations I believe the institutions and the general populations rarely act to realize (or even consider) long term goals, and almost always place unreasonably high value on short term benefits. Being a strong believer that long term goals and ambitions are never met by accident and without sacrifice in the short term, I end up feeling pessimistic for the future of today's wealthy nations - then my friend goes and gets engaged.

He is a man of great principle, loyalty, compassion, and ability. His commitment to this woman is for life. He is thinking about his life and the life of their future kids and the world in which those kids will live. I'm positive of it. With his commitment, he is commiting to consider the future, to sacrifice for the future, and to make tomorrow's world better. I'm positive of it. So now comfort, hope and optimism replace my pessimism. Maybe my news sources have it all wrong. Maybe this world needs more people like my friend. Maybe both. Either way, hope and optimism for the future feel good.