Not being jaded

Feeling sort of lucky today that though things can be frustrating and I am tired (!)- I'm not really jaded. Which means I honestly think things can be fixed and that it is worth trying.

I had a friend in Berlin who used to say that he believed half of the men he passed on the street would want to kill him of they could- not literally, but he felt this deep competition/hatred/ sense that our lives are a zero sum game with winners and losers.

I remember being shocked because I was under the impression often when I took walks that people would smile if you caught their eye. For no reason at all. Just human solidarity. A pleasant acknowledgement....

I've retained that base trust in our world.  It isn't that I haven't seen bad things and know about much worse. But I think things don't need to be bad. There are ways to inspire people to be better.

I think schools can be fixed, housing, basic levels of respect for people can be achieved, community can be strengthened, resources can be saved, values can be improved in our personal lives, etc etc.

In the end, I'm grateful for that belief and worldview. I think it gives me strength.