Great Falls Optimist Club

For Me, Optimism Is…

by Aimee Cho

Winner of the 2009 Great Falls Optimist Club Oratorical Contest

Winner of the 2009 Optimist International Zone Level Oratorical Contest

Winner of the 2009 Optimist International District Contest

            According to the American Heritage High School Dictionary, optimism is, “A tendency to expect the best possible outcome.” But I’ve realized that the handful of words in my dictionary provides only a fraction of the true meaning of optimism to me.  When people hear the word optimism, they usually think of folks who see the glass as half full.  I believe that there’s MUCH more to optimism than some clichés about half-full or half-empty glasses.  To me, optimism is keeping up your hopes and seeing the brighter side of things, and still giving it your all to reach your goals when faced with adversity.  This adversity can come in all different forms, from trivial things to life threatening issues.  I’ve been around some dear people who have helped me define optimism, and I’d like to tell you about a few of them.

            My little sister is just one person who has taught me a lot about optimism, through her enthusiastic quest for candy.  She got braces a few weeks ago, which meant bye-bye to all of her favorite chewy candy.  But that didn’t stop her from begging our parents, day after day, for just a piece of caramel, or just a tiny bit of a gummy worm.  Of course, the answer was always no, but it never kept my sister from trying.  She never gave up hope – all of the cold, hard, “no’s” from my parents did nothing to break her spirit.  Finally, I asked her, “Why do you even bother asking for sticky candy anymore?  You know Mom and Dad won’t let you have any.”  Without missing a beat, she replied, “Well, maybe they will. You never know!” In that moment, I learned that optimism means never giving up the hope that one day, maybe the answer will be “Yes,” and going after your goal with that unbreakable spirit.  And what do you know!  One day, Mom did cave, and let my sister have a gummy worm.

            Another person who personifies optimism to me is one of my closest friends, a bright and hard-working student.  Her biggest goal this year was to get accepted into Thomas Jefferson High School.  In the months leading up to the test, she spent most of her spare time studying.  She loved telling me about the classes she would take and the clubs she would join, when she got into TJ, not if she got in.  When the results were mailed out, she camped out by the kitchen door, waiting for the mail truck to arrive.  When it did, she tore into the envelope…and found a rejection letter.  To say that she was disappointed would be an understatement.  However, instead of feeling defeated, she bounced back immediately, just like the Energizer Bunny, vowing to reapply next year.  Not once did she consider giving up her dream.  My friend has shown me that optimism is going after your goal with continued effort, and not letting anything get in the way.

            Another person who has showed me what optimism really is, is my beloved uncle.  He was diagnosed with cancer, and went through many grueling treatments, none of which stopped the cancer from growing.  I remember thinking that if I were him, I would probably mope around the house, watch TV, and feel sorry for myself.  But my uncle wasn’t that type of person – he was an optimist!  A week after having his kidney removed, he refereed a big volleyball game, because it was something he loved to do!  My uncle passed away the day after Christmas.  The part of his struggle that really moved me was how on Christmas, the day before the end, he and his family still hosted their annual holiday party for 20 relatives, and he insisted on carving the roast, just like always.  Never, not even for one moment, did I see my uncle’s spirit wane.  He has taught me that optimism is keeping up your hopes, and seeing the positive side in a seemingly impossible situation.

            As Kahlil Gibran said, “The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns.” This quote really speaks to me, and embodies the way my uncle felt.  He always looked past the “thorns” of his illness, and instead saw the “rose,” which was his family, friends, and everything he loved about life.

            From facing small obstacles like my sister’s braces, to huge ones like my uncle’s cancer, and everything in between, optimism is looking past your troubles to see the brighter side, and continuing to pursue your goals and dreams no matter what.