In pursuit of positivity

Yup



I was at the grocery today when the dude ringing me up started a conversation with me. He was a really cool guy and I enjoyed talking with him.

When there was a lull in the conversation, I pointed to his "End the Fed" t-shirt and asked, "Hey, how'd that go for ya?"

Yes, I'm a smartass. But I was involved with Occupy Wall Street in Chicago. So I know what it felt like in 2011 when we thought we were going to get some real traction and maybe, just maybe, arrest a few of the people who perpetrated the greatest theft of wealth in history.

Remember that? Remember the fall of 2008, when all the financial scams came home to roost at the same time? When the people who really run the show told the people we elect to govern us that if they didn't give the Fed and Wall Street what they wanted, they would declare martial law.

What a country!

But my new friend wasn't having any of my negativity. He said that things take time and we need to keep the pressure up.

"Did you see what happened in Chile?" he asked. "Students won the right to free higher education!"

I told him I did see what Chile had done and how exciting that is. But deep down inside, I've already given up on this country. Most of the people I know who have done enough independent research and taken different perspectives into account arrive at the same conclusion.

At this point, I really want to start listing some stuff that the great American myth has completely rewritten, but I'm not going to. Because a few years ago, I realized that I'm never, ever going to change anyone's mind. And if I do include the list, some people out there might throw the laziest two words out there that they believe wins the argument: Conspiracy theory.

Unfortunately, the people who do that apparently don't know the definition of the word conspiracy. So, just for shits and giggles, here it is. Conspiracy: A secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful.

Happens every day.

Here are three great examples of conspiracies:

1. Fluoride is good for your teeth
• It's a neurotoxin, like lead or arsenic
2. We needed to invade Iraq after 9/11
• Bullshit
3.  Christopher Columbus discovered America
• If you believe this, the Internet can't help you

But enough. The point is to embrace the truth while remaining positive. Easier said than done, right? But just when I expected it the least, and said something snarky, along came a young man to remind me that we need to remain positive and keep up the fight.

Oh, Asheville. You're just a bunch of Hippies.

Which is fine. Because you do know the Hippies were right, don't you?