Could Be Worse - Jan 2 2023

 

Could Be Worse

Jan 2 2023

Could be worse

the old guy offered,

minimizing the setback

as he sipped bad coffee

that already had cooled.

Something about rain

or drought

or the price of pulses.

How sensible, I thought;

reframing

widening his perspective

digging down for gratitude.

And what a mid-western worldview,

modest, patient

and philosophical

in a down-to-earth kind of way.

Really, it's the most optimistic thing

he could have said;

seeing the bright side,

not placing himself

at the centre of the universe.

Thing is, it could always be worse.

And following the logic of acceptance

you'd simply keep acceding

all the way down;

the world could be burning

and all you would do

is give a little shrug.

Meanwhile, I caught the eye of the waiter

and asked for another cup.

But hot, I said,

hot black coffee

and one for my friend.

Superficially, could be worse sounds pessimistic and despairing. But really, it's the most optimistic thing you can say. It's the half full glass, the rose-tinted lens of positivism.

I say this as a certified pessimist who often relies on could be worse to restore a more balanced take on things. Nevertheless, there is the risk of complacency: the passive shrug of even-keeled acceptance.

A farmer, as in this little tableau, learns to live with disappointment. A small family farm — a traditional way of life that's being rapidly overtaken by industrial agriculture — is a tough way to make a living. An even keel is a necessity.