Trying to tap into world of the reluctant optimist

Country Living with Francis Farragher

Sometimes, during grouchier moments, it can be a bit annoying reading articles about reasons to be optimistic about the year ahead or the future in general.

We’re all entitled to have the heads down here and there but when it turns into a habit, the brakes have to be put on. Is there really anything worse than the habitual moaner, whether it be in the workplace or your place of socialisation?

Once we accept with some placidity that in the final analysis, we are all doomed, then it can be a lot easier to enjoy those little bits that make up the time bites of each day that we live.

So, with the acceptance that reasons for optimism as February dawns are likely to annoy some people, I’ve tried to come up with Five Commandments – 10 would really be stretching it – for giving us just little chinks of hope as the first scents of Spring are poised to blow in.

1. Our good old reliable weather and I’m not for a second allowing any climate change interference to take the good out of the glorious (well nearly) spell that we’ve enjoyed through a large chunk of January. We’ve had a mild Winter with only a couple of storms along the way and there have been no big freeze-ups like we had back in 2009-2010. Yes, we do love moaning about our rain and wind in Ireland, but for the most part, we’re blessed with a moderate climate which nurtures growth for a large chunk of any year. Okay, I do worry about the possibility of having to take out the lawnmower during the month of February, but as whines and moans go, that has to be a pretty small one. And for no other reason but optimism, I’ll predict a good Summer to come too.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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