How many are familiar with Randy Pausch? He's the author of The Last Lecture (I believe that's the name). He recently died of cancer but made a big impact upon many folks before he died. I was reading part of his comments and one that stood out was (to paraphrase) "Do you go through life as Tigger with a childlike exuberance or do you go through life like Eeyore, always expecting bad things to happen and consequently, bad things do happen"
That struck a cord in me. There are so many folks out there that are happy most of the time and then there are the folks that are never happy. My grandmother's side of the family, definitely TIGGERS. They were a happy group. With 11 brothers and sister growing up in the early 1900's, theirs was not a life of earthly wealth. Man oh man, did they make the most of what they had. (Which mainly consisted of each other) They laughed and played music and sang and danced. They were always there for each other even when they were grown and had families of their own. Just a wonderful family. Then there was my Grandfather's family. They fell more in the Eeyore side. They were not bad people per se. IT was just their outlook was more puritanical and cold. Not a lot of laughing occurred in that family.
What's the difference? Both sides had ample resources (Without being monetarily rich). Both sides had sadness and hardship in their families. Everyone does. It was how they handled the bad things that came their way. Totally different perspective.
So I ask, are you a Tigger or an Eeyore?
Come On Over
18 years ago
4 comments:
I saw him on Oprah, he was great. It was sad when he passed.
I was reading the book over the weekend when I got the news he died. It made the book all the more intense (that's not really the right word).
The tigger/eeyore analogy appealed to me too. I've always called John's son Eeyore. He can always find the bad spot in the best situation. It makes me sad for him that he can't seem to shake that mindset.
Lori
Lori,
Don't you think that's part of the Eeyore syndrome, in that Eeyore's rarely see themselves as Eeyore's. We all go thru down times because of loss of some sort or the other. Eeyore's just seem to relish living in the bog and have a hard time getting out of it. They only see the 'dark' side of life and have the hardest time seeing, much less enjoying, the 'bright' side.
Just my thoughts.
Jan
I think you're right.
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