Distance= Cancer And Other Simple Math Facts

February 14, 2012

Happy Valentine's Day! First random thought: I have been rather interested to find out why people are so pessimistic. We have so many reasons to believe that things will just work out. Yeah, there are things that don't turn out the way we want them to but we learn, grow, adjust and make the best of what we are given. This has been a sentiment on my mind quite often since I started dating a girl from another state. When I tell people that I'm in a long distance relationship it's almost like I'm saying “I have end stage cancer with 0 percent chance that I will live.” People look at me and say “Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. I'm here for you if you need anything!” Okay, maybe not like that but I can't express how many times people have said “Good luck with that!” Even though they are not really wishing us any luck but actually expressing their feeling of inevitable doom for our relationship. I wouldn't necessarily tell everyone to have a long distance relationship because it is hard and it takes the right people with the right attitudes but they can work...and not to get too cocky but I'm pretty positive that this one is going to work since I plan on marrying this chick. SOOOO, just for kicks and giggles I googled "What percentage of long distance relationships work out?" The yahoo answer came back: 

“0%
One, if not both parties get lonely and get tired of waiting. So they find the closest available, so they're not lonely anymore. The best thing, the other party won't know about it. The perfect scam. Eventually, they are caught, and it's over.”

Talk about pessimism. Holy cow! The whole relationship thing is not the only reason I worry about people's pessimism, in fact it's almost none of the reason. I just worry about people who automatically think that the worst will inevitably happen. Maybe optimism is a product of seeing stuff work out but I think that you “see stuff work out” through your perspective. It's seeing something not work out but then considering the other possibilities. There is a song called “Unanswered Prayers” by Garth Brooks. It's good ole Garth telling the story of running into his ex-girlfriend with his wife at a football game. Instead of explaining it maybe I'll just put the lyrics up. Just remember that with each failure there is usually something else up the Lord's proverbial sleeve.

Just the other night at a hometown football game
My wife and I ran into my old high school flame
And as I introduced them the past came back to me
And I couldn't help but think of the way things used to be

She was the one that I'd wanted for all times
And each night I'd spend prayin' that God would make her mine
And if he'd only grant me this wish I wished back then
I'd never ask for anything again

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs
That just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers

She wasn't quite the angel that I remembered in my dreams

And I could tell that time had changed me
In her eyes too it seemed
We tried to talk about the old days
There wasn't much we could recall
I guess the Lord knows what he's doin' after all

And as she walked away and I looked at my wife
And then and there I thanked the good Lord
For the gifts in my life

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs
That just because he may not answer doesn't mean he don't care
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers

Some of God's greatest gifts are all too often unanswered...
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers