Goodness and virtuosity for me has always been defined by the stories I would read in the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series - narratives of unconditional love, selfless support, true love, forgiveness, fidelity et all made me believe that the world ran on such values. That no matter how negative an incident appeared, it would unfailingly have a happy ending. So instead of succumbing to the unpleasantness around us, we should always remain positive and selfless and honest and faithful. And oh yes, sacrifice our own needs for the happiness of others - that would undoubtedly symbolize the benchmark of true humanity.
I have nothing against humanity, in fact I believe that if all us made one effort each day to make someday else smile, it would create a long chain of kindness and the butterfly's wings would indeed create a warm, fuzzy storm. But sacrifice is overrated - while you think about the welfare of others, do make an effort to make yourself smile a little as well. Do make your friends laugh but save the best jokes for yourself. Because as Murphy so subtly put it, if something has to go wrong, it will. And if you are not paying attention to the complexities in your life, no one else will. I think parents are the closest to unconditional love that we can get and after spending our entire childhood bothering them, let's not do the same in adulthood as well. So let's not expect grand gestures from others around us to save our day. Let's pull up our own socks, tie our own shoelaces firmly, grab a strong umbrella and head out into the rough weather alone. And when you feel the raindrops on your face and the wind in your bones, you will know that you are your own soldier. And when you see your fellow human beings at the finish line - tired, cranky but all marathon winners, you will know that everyone has their own little army. Deep inside their heart. We are all superheroes in our own way and no one really needs to be rescued.
The opposite of idealism is not cynicism. Realism means to Get Smart - to mix in a little bit of Murphy's pessimism with the warmth of Chicken Soup and thus create the perfect meal. MasterChef style. Happy Eating everyone, don't forget to save the biggest bite for yourself. And do it proudly, without any sense of guilt or hesitation. As for me, I'll stop here because it ain't good manners to keep talking (or writing) when one's mouth is full.
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