I think this is for all of us. But, if you don't feel you're affected by what I've been thinking ... and hearing ... then fine. Have a great day, and see you next week. Now, for the rest of us.

I'd like to think I hang out with some pretty upbeat folks. But if I had to draw up a "composite profile" of all the people I came into contact with this past week - both professionally and personally - I'd honestly have to define that person as being in one humongous "pessimistic funk"! And it begs the question, "Where has our individual and collective optimism gone"?

We're not REALLY a bunch of wimps, complainers, and excuse makers, are we? And, yessir, I include myself in that introspective question ... believe me.

OP' - ti - mizz - em, noun:

A tendency to expect the best possible outcome or dwell on the most hopeful aspects of a situation

Why does it seem so simple  on paper?

So, here's the question: Where does optimism come from? How is it made? What exactly is it? Can we buy it "online" or on 'aisle-nine' at Target? Is it an import? Is it taxable? Can 'ya touch it? Can we bottle it, and sell it?

Well ... howsoever we come to possess it, alot of us have sure let our sources (and, resources) of optimism dry up lately. Or so it seems.

So what say we hitch up the wagon, and go on a fishin' trip ... and try to catch some of that good old-fashioned optimism stuff that we know is there, somewhere. You never know ... the source of optimism might be alot closer than we realize. Like .... less than six inches from the very eyes reading this little snippet right now.

'Ya with me on this? Come on! I'll even bait the hook!