I'm an optimist. She's a pessimist.

An acquaintance found a looped piece of string on her door knob. And she jumped to an odd conclusion. Because it looked a little bit like a noose. She wondered if that was an omen. If someone might be sending her an evil message. That maybe someone wanted her dead. I laughed. But she wasn't laughing. Indeed, she was worried. Taking it seriously. Maybe even lost a little sleep over it. But I suggested it was an over-reaction. Because the acquaintance happened to be in a gloomy mood. Later, she discovered that the string came from a bouquet of flowers. A neighbor had inadvertently hung the string on the doorknob. An innocent thing. She could just as easily have surmised it was a good omen. That's what I would have done. I'm an optimist. She's a pessimist. --Jim Broede