Optimism and the Domino Effect

Just over a week ago I was in Edinburgh watching a production of Rent. Now, Rent has been my favourite musical for years but I’d never seen it live and indeed, hadn’t listened to the full soundtrack for a good while. Even though the production was really rather average (soz), it did remind me of why I love this particular musical so much. There’s a moment in the second half of the show when one of the characters, Mark, reflects on the series of consequences that initially bring the characters together: ‘why did Mimi knock on Rodger’s door and Collins choose that phone booth back where Angel set up his drums, why did Maureen’s equipment break down, why am I the witness?’. This idea of consequences has been something I’ve been thinking about for a while, it probably has a proper name but for now I’ve termed it the Domino Effect.

Flash forward a few days and filling in (yet another) job application I was asked what my best two qualities were. I decided without hesitation that my optimism and resilience were the best things I could offer (they’re kind of the same thing, shhh). My optimism comes directly from my belief in the Domino effect; my belief that basically the world is a weird place where weird things happen that lead to even weirder things. In this way nothing ever actually ends because the consequences, even if they’re dormant for a while or not physically measurable, go on kind of like a ripple effect.

My being in Edinburgh began with me sitting in the wrong seat at formal months ago – even things that seem like nothing can spiral so quickly into something. This is why I live in the slightly erratic way I do, trying always to say ‘yes’. The seeds of these small beginnings are out there, and the wonderful thing is that we have the option to choose to be present, to allow the chances to take hold and to set off another line of dominos. I’m optimistic because the next chance encounter is always just around the corner, the next weird circumstance is about to happen, I’ll be in the right place at the right time sooner or later.

Suspected by only one person of being in the wrong seat that night

I think cynicism has become fashionable because it’s easier. Being optimistic and believing in a positive outcome means you’re exposing yourself to the possibility of being let down, we’re expected to be embarrassed if this happens, even told we’re fools for hoping. Admittedly being optimistic has gotten me into trouble before; I sometimes believe in people a little too much and effectively scare them (lol..?). But the wounding I get from this is only temporary, so I’ve never truly regretted being optimistic – with optimism that is acted upon there is never ever a ‘what if’. I think openly investing in the hope of success is one of the bravest most truthful things one can do.

So always hang on in there folks, in true optimist style, I genuinely believe everything will work out just perfectly.

Five Weird Post-Graduation Habits

1. Taking on overly ambitious Pinterest projects: ‘Impressive yet so simple’. WRONG. The first time I made the samples pictured below I put in a tablespoon of salt rather than a teaspoon. But this time I am older, more sophisticated and most importantly know the difference between tsp and tbsp. However the disaster is aesthetic rather than taste-based; the dough bore an attractive resemblance to sludge so was impossible to spiral. And so I present to you the biscuit metaphor for my life:

How you think you look vs. how you actually look

Our most disturbing face-swap

2. Resuming the Great Sibling War: This is a battle fought on two fronts.

i.) Firstly we’re engaged in a game which everyone with a sibling will be familiar with, but unfortunately has no name. I can only explain it in very rudimentary terms: when one is looking at the other, one of us will make a particular hand gesture and the most recent one to have seen said hand gesture wins. The other is in a state of shame and humiliation, which may only be broken by tricking the current winner into seeing them make the hand gesture. Because there is no visible end point we can only presume its like Game of Thrones – you win or you die.

ii.) The second tactic in the war is creative insults, which needs no explanation, only an example: ‘I’ll pull your ears off and shove them up your nose’.

3. The Fleetwood Mac Coefficient: So this is a routine thing, every job application must take no longer than the length of The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac (two hours and twenty-one minutes). Every application is appropriately begun with the song ‘Monday Morning’, which is good, yes, off to a good start. By the time we get to disc two things are getting weird with the odd pairing of ‘The Chain’ and ‘Don’t Stop’ – the twitchiness of ‘The Chain’ followed by the optimism of ‘Don’t Stop’ has me appropriately panicked/pumped (always treading the line) for the home run. If any potential employers find Fleetwood Mac lyrics embedded in my CV, I am terribly sorry, blame Stevie.

4. Saying ‘Hiiiiiiiiiii’ to my dog literally every time we make eye contact: In the mind of my dog I am at the bottom of the family hierarchy because I went to uni first and he hasn’t forgiven me. He likes to literally push me around and pointedly ignores me, so saying ‘Hiiiiiiiiiiii’ is a bit like the Great Sibling War (see 2). Except I always win. Because he can’t speak. Heh heh.

Hated since 2K14

5. Running: I recognise that this is not what one might describe as an odd habit, but unless I am being chased, I do not run. Cannot run. My body has what can only be accurately described as an allergic reaction to running. Not only does my own nature disapprove, nature ITSELF has shown its discontent – the first time I ventured out I was stung on the lip by a mysterious flying insect. Swelling. Horror. SWELLING.