Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Confession is . . .I'm a pessimist

Yep, it's true. It drives my friends and family crazy, but I have never been a "glass half full" kind of girl. They call it being negative. I call it always being prepared for the worst. My husband is constantly saying to me, "Would it kill you to be positive for once?" Um . . .no. But apparently NOT being positive might.

Last night, hubby and I went to the Body Worlds exhibit at the Leonardo (thanks Kersten!). The main focus of the exhibit was on the human heart, and one of the placards talked about the effects of pessimism on the heart. Apparently people who constantly see the glass as half empty are much more likely to die from cardiovascular complications than those who don't. So in addition to being an eternal pessimist, now I know it's probably going to kill me. How's that for irony?

So in an effort to give my heart a little jump start in a positive, more optimistic direction, I've decided to post a few tidbits of good news.

1. Kid Z (my 6 year old) made the Principal's honor roll for having perfect behavior every day. How's that for showing I've actually got some good mommy-ing skills? (Never mind the fact that I got a call from his teacher the VERY NEXT DAY because Kid Z got caught teasing someone at his table. Every kid is allowed an off day, right? I'm still a good mom, right?)

2. Kid A finally said the words to me I've been waiting the last 2 years and 7 months to hear: "I love you, Mommy." Never mind the fact that he kicked me in the nose this morning while I was attempting to change his diaper, those 4 little words make it all seem worth it. Most of the time.

3. My fabulous friend Emily Wing Smith got a starred review in Publisher's Weekly for her debut novel, THE WAY HE LIVED. In my opinion, PW is the authority on all things publishing related so getting reviewed by them in the first place is pretty big--but getting a starred review is FREAKING AWESOME. Most book-buyers for libraries and bookstores will only purchase books that get reviewed by one of the big name publications, and some buyers will only look at the starred reviews. Hopefully, this means big things are in store for Emily and her book. I can just hear the National Book Award committee dialing her number . . . Just remember that you heard about Emily from me first.

4. Emily also got this review from a School Library Journal teen reviewer. (So what are you waiting for--go buy Emily's book already :))

5. And last but not least: Ted gave my manuscript the green light this morning! Wish me luck!

P.S. I promise I'll post about my crazy weekend soon. I'm waiting on a few pictures first. Because you all want to know what fabulous agent Ted looks like, right? (Not to mention, prove that he really exists.)

8 comments:

theheadricks said...

Hey, I finally got on your website. I'm a pessimist too. And as much as my mom and husband reprimand me for it, it's really hard to cure. I'm not pessimistic about your future, however. I think your book is going to be a huge success. Can't wait to get my copy!
www.theheadrickspage.blogspot.com

The Family G said...

Maybe a pessimist is really an optimist in disguise. By preparing for the worst you are secretly hoping for better. Maybe it's a "glass is going to get fuller" mentality. Or maybe that's just how your optimistic sister sees it:)

Brodi Ashton said...

Personally, I think if you start out pessimistic, everything either meets your expectations, or comes as a pleasant surprise!

Valynne said...

Are you saying that some people might actually think your agent isn't real? But no one does that. No one makes up an agent, right? Only a crazy, delusional, habitual liar would do something like that.

Jackie Johnson said...

Congrats on your attempt to be less pessimistic! Now that you know it can kill you, you have no excuse!

I love reading your blog - you are very entertaining sitting here at USANA!

Kim Woodruff said...

Your kids sound sweet. Kid A sounds a lot like my 3 year old.

Emily Allen said...

Bree you're on the rise! I'm so excited for you. Excellent work--being a mom AND writing a book. Nothing half empty about that! :) Congrats!!!

Bree Biesinger Despain said...

Brodi said it right, being a pessimist just means you are never disappointed. It's all those crazy optimistic people out there who have to deal with getting their hopes dashed. I know, I know, I'm supposed to hope for the best, but plan for the worst. But for some reason, I think that would make me even more neurotic.

Thanks for all of your support, guys!