i'M AN OPTIMIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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arthurfleminger

Well-known member
Aug 18, 2021
1,405
771
113
#1
It's easy to see all the ongoing turmoils and evils in the world today and it's easy to give up and become discouraged. So many things are just wrong.

So, why do I say I'm an optimist????????? That's easy
, because things in the world are actually getting better. Are we better off than we were in my grandparents and parents times? You bet we are!!!!!!!!!

My grandfather's generation had to face WWI, 5 years of the nastiest/filthiest trench/gas/machinegun warfare, 5 million died. It was a 'War to End All Wars'! NOT!!!!!!!!!!!! Immediately after the war came the communist revolution in Russia. Atheistic governments/dictatorships were on the rise, there were many believers who were murdered. And the international pandemic of the 'Spanish Flu' broke out world wide. This pandemic killed an estimated 50 million people, ten times the number that died in WWI. All this was followed by the Great Depression, so many without work/food/clothing/shelter.

My father's generation shared in the Great Depression but then faced WWII, another world engulfing war. Tens of millions were killed, many innocents; Jews/Russians/Poles. There was mass bombing of cities/civilians. And millions of soldiers lost their lives. After WWII, atheistic communism began a swift expansion throughout the world, especially in China, crushing any religious practicioners. In the USA, blacks, Asians, immigrants, and some religious denominations such as Jews and Catholics were vehemently discriminated against.
The Ku Klux Klan was politically powerful throughout the USA.

Then came the Korean, Viet Nam, and other wars. 'When will we ever learn?'

As I look around today, I see many evils. But, I also see good. The world has it's sporadic wars, pandemics are conquered through science, poverty in the USA is on the wane. During my lifetime, I've always had enough to eat, good health and health care, a good job, and materialistically I've never wanted for anything. Women have attained many rights that they were denied for years. While there is still racial, religious, and other biases, they are on the wane and things are much better off than they were. And I am free to worship, or not worship, God as I choose.

I think things are getting better.

So, I believe that we must not only focus on the bad but focus on the good also. And I think my generation has lived through good times and I'm optimistic that things will improve.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
25,537
8,425
113
#2
I remember one elderly man reminiscing about riding to the general store in the back of his grandfather's car to get a few pounds of sausage. But the car did not have air conditioning and the general store had no hygiene at all in the meat department. He says he loves modern times and wouldn't go back for all the nostalgia in the world.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,179
113
#3
That is good to hear (y)

I think if you are a christian you have a reason to be optimistic and we are never without hope, and not just about you eternal destiny but the life you now live on earth.

In my lifetime, which is shorter than yours I can see many things are much better than in my parents and grandparents days.

My grandparents had to flee communism, my parents faced racism and they never had an education past primary school. My generation has been able to have student allowance and be able to continue their education to as high as they are able to go. we arent forced into marriage or the army. we can vote. We have free healthcare, and if we do travel, we can go by air and dont need to die on a coffin boat. where I live, maybe jobs have been hard to come by at times, but we have a safety net for those who cannot find work. we arent starving and there has always been charities that can help, foodbanks, welfare etc.

housing may be expensive but at least there is housing..!
 

cv5

Well-known member
Nov 20, 2018
19,010
7,367
113
#4
It's easy to see all the ongoing turmoils and evils in the world today and it's easy to give up and become discouraged. So many things are just wrong.

So, why do I say I'm an optimist????????? That's easy, because things in the world are actually getting better. Are we better off than we were in my grandparents and parents times? You bet we are!!!!!!!!!

My grandfather's generation had to face WWI, 5 years of the nastiest/filthiest trench/gas/machinegun warfare, 5 million died. It was a 'War to End All Wars'! NOT!!!!!!!!!!!! Immediately after the war came the communist revolution in Russia. Atheistic governments/dictatorships were on the rise, there were many believers who were murdered. And the international pandemic of the 'Spanish Flu' broke out world wide. This pandemic killed an estimated 50 million people, ten times the number that died in WWI. All this was followed by the Great Depression, so many without work/food/clothing/shelter.

My father's generation shared in the Great Depression but then faced WWII, another world engulfing war. Tens of millions were killed, many innocents; Jews/Russians/Poles. There was mass bombing of cities/civilians. And millions of soldiers lost their lives. After WWII, atheistic communism began a swift expansion throughout the world, especially in China, crushing any religious practicioners. In the USA, blacks, Asians, immigrants, and some religious denominations such as Jews and Catholics were vehemently discriminated against.
The Ku Klux Klan was politically powerful throughout the USA.

Then came the Korean, Viet Nam, and other wars. 'When will we ever learn?'

As I look around today, I see many evils. But, I also see good. The world has it's sporadic wars, pandemics are conquered through science, poverty in the USA is on the wane. During my lifetime, I've always had enough to eat, good health and health care, a good job, and materialistically I've never wanted for anything. Women have attained many rights that they were denied for years. While there is still racial, religious, and other biases, they are on the wane and things are much better off than they were. And I am free to worship, or not worship, God as I choose.

I think things are getting better.

So, I believe that we must not only focus on the bad but focus on the good also. And I think my generation has lived through good times and I'm optimistic that things will improve.
Eliminate the government/MSM propaganda organ lies and gaslighting and the entertainment/Hollyweird occult force-feeding.....and we will be making progress.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
25,537
8,425
113
#6
Don't be a 'Gloomy Gus' nor a 'Negative Nellie'. Things are always changing. Look for the bright side of things.

Close to Home by John McPherson for November 27, 2022 - GoComics

Most of us can't change world events so, if you want to be happy, live a simple Christian life.
Quote from that comic:

"There was just ONE PHONE for the whole family, and it was attached to the wall. And you couldn't see each other, or smell each other's breath, or read each other's mind!"

Yeah but if you picked up the extension very carefully and quietly, you could catch each other's gossip. :p
 

cv5

Well-known member
Nov 20, 2018
19,010
7,367
113
#7
1669578976307.png
 

arthurfleminger

Well-known member
Aug 18, 2021
1,405
771
113
#8
Quote from that comic:

"There was just ONE PHONE for the whole family, and it was attached to the wall. And you couldn't see each other, or smell each other's breath, or read each other's mind!"

Yeah but if you picked up the extension very carefully and quietly, you could catch each other's gossip. :p

Lynx, you say, "Yeah but if you picked up the extension very carefully and quietly, you could catch each other's gossip."

How do you know that? LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Billyd

Senior Member
May 8, 2014
5,079
1,508
113
#9
What does Jesus say about tomorrow? Think about it.

Do Not Be Anxious


Mat 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Mat 6:26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Mat 6:27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
Mat 6:28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,
Mat 6:29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Mat 6:30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Mat 6:31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
Mat 6:32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
Mat 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Mat 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble
. ESV
 

gb9

Senior Member
Jan 18, 2011
11,891
6,399
113
#10
Quote from that comic:

"There was just ONE PHONE for the whole family, and it was attached to the wall. And you couldn't see each other, or smell each other's breath, or read each other's mind!"

Yeah but if you picked up the extension very carefully and quietly, you could catch each other's gossip. :p

i grew up in the country, had a party line. ( how many know what a party line is, lol).

did that. not proud of it, but did it.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,179
113
#11
i grew up in the country, had a party line. ( how many know what a party line is, lol).

did that. not proud of it, but did it.
its a shared telephone right? People still have those if they cant afford their own.
 

Cameron143

Well-known member
Mar 1, 2022
16,018
5,635
113
62
#12
its a shared telephone right? People still have those if they cant afford their own.
Not a shared phone but line...as in not having a singular devoted line.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
25,537
8,425
113
#13
Lynx, you say, "Yeah but if you picked up the extension very carefully and quietly, you could catch each other's gossip."

How do you know that? LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I watched mom do it. :p And you couldn't talk or make any noise at all while she was doing it.

Be vewwy, vewwy quiet. Mom is hunting gossip. It's gossip season. Heheheheh.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,179
113
#14
Not a shared phone but line...as in not having a singular devoted line.
isnt it kinda the same as twitter nowadays everyone can see what everyone else is sayin, well ok but not really

I never used twitter though

homelessness...who really needs a home? You could just live in your car
joblessness...who really needs a well paid job ? You can always work in fast food and eat the leftovers.

Just tryin to see the bright side. Also who can say how long they will live anyway.

Didnt francis of assisi give everything up and the animals looked after him, just like the ravens did Elijah
 

Eli1

Well-known member
Apr 5, 2022
3,567
1,258
113
46
#15
I wonder why positive threads don’t get much traction not just here but worldwide too.
‘This thread barely made it to one page.
‘Maybe people don’t appreciate what they have and it’s easier or more fun to complain.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
25,537
8,425
113
#16
Hey I pushed it as far as I could.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
25,537
8,425
113
#17
I wonder why positive threads don’t get much traction not just here but worldwide too.
‘This thread barely made it to one page.
‘Maybe people don’t appreciate what they have and it’s easier or more fun to complain.
Frankly there wasn't much to say about this thread. The first post made a statement, and one could either agree or disagree, but there wasn't a lot of material to discuss.

I think it lasted pretty long for what we had to work with.
 

Eli1

Well-known member
Apr 5, 2022
3,567
1,258
113
46
#18
Bump for Page 2.