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Perspective: But what if it rains?

Pixabay and Pixlr

"Let's go kayaking this weekend."

Said the wife. She loves to plan.

I say, "OK — if it doesn't rain."

"There ya go," she says, "Being negative."

And she's probably right. Seems like I'm always tossing a bit of shade across her sunshine.

You probably know bubbly, positive people. They like to say, "Hey, the glass is not half empty. It's half full.” OK, but I wonder about what's in the glass. It all comes down to how you look at things.

Listen. I believe in hope. I think people are kind and generous and good. Until they are not.

Ahhh, there it is. Casting doubt. Because I also think people have a dark side. And often the good person and the bad person are in the same person.

So why am I a doubter? Aways questioning. Maybe because of my career and what I'd call a learned philosophy. That philosophy being: The best way to prepare is to expect the worst.

It's like defensive driving. Expect that other driver to blow through the red light. I never trust a turn signal. That's my philosophy.

And as a reporter I learned there is more than one side to a story. And here's a twist: When others are chewing apart someone for something they said or did, I look for the positive.

(That guy who blew the red light may be rushing to an emergency room where a loved one is hurt badly.)

Bottom line: I can’t help it. It’s how my brain works.

Which is why I am blessed with a wife who pulls me into her sunshine.

And makes plans … that I end up enjoying.

If it doesn’t rain.

I’m Lonny Cain … and that’s my Perspective.

Lonny Cain, a graduate of the journalism program at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, has been in the newspaper business for more than 45 years. He and his wife have three sons. They live in Ottawa, where he was managing editor of the local daily newspaper for 30 years, retiring in December 2014. He continues to be a columnist for The Times in Ottawa and is pursuing other writing projects.