...because that's really not the way to go... or, if you're going to give your view, at least make it positive! Okay, that would be fine. Tell me to interpret positively! I'll salute you for that. I'd buy you a drink, but I don't drink, so I'd get you a Kit Kat or Mars bar! And, if you're not a chocolate fiend, we can find a substitute: just make your sentiments a bit brighter. You just might catch me --quite likely-- at a moment when I could really benefit from hearing something positive. And, if not me, then someone else certainly. You are the disc jockey. You are blasting emotions all over Pennsylvania honey, so make them good ones! Yes, I know. It's not easy. I get down. I express negative opinions. But, not on the radio. And, in my published work, I do make an effort to keep it up beat. I suck and I'm lousy, but, I'm trying...

What can I say? Fairly typical day. I'm getting into the car, and I notice that it's just starting to rain right as I'm pulling the door closed: fine and dandy. Some people might think, "Just my luck!" but, my brain doesn't work that way. Most of the time it's not raining. And, besides, I'm not anti-rain the way I used to be when I was younger. The rain makes things grow. The rain has its place. The rain can make me want to write. The rain is just fine and dandy. So, I get in the car, turn the key, back out, and flip on the wipers. I'm headed off to work, and ya'll already know I like these country roads with their lush summer landscapes: the green is lovely and reminds me of the rich green of a dice table. And, venturing through life, that's how I approach it...I just keep on throwing the dice on the table. Sooner or later they are going to bounce my way!

So, I start driving, and holy bejabbers, it's raining chimps and monkeys (shouldn't this expression be as legit as "cats and dogs"... and shouldn't we try to avoid the cliche?) So, rolling, rolling, and the rain stops. Wow, that fierce down pour lasted for all of thirty seconds. It's just about this time that I'm thinking about how marvelous that is...I power down the window, and the air is thick like a sponge cake. Fine and dandy. And, I'm thinking about how wonderful that quick shot of rain was! I'm thinking this is indeed a divine universe we are living in....now, to folks who don't know me, you may think statements like that are a bit unusual and that I'm a bit Pollyannaish or some aspect of my view is contrived. It's not. If you got to know me and talked to me, you'd see I talk the same way. So, as I said, I'm thinking isn't it fantastic how it rained like crazy for just under a minute and then, presto, it's gone. I look overhead, and the sky's a light gray smear, and I don't see any distinct storm clouds.

Well, as I said, the rain, obviously has its place in the grand scheme of things. To everything turn turn turn. You get the idea, and I'm in an unusually good mood rolling down the little road past the little, wet houses with their little, dripping flags. I twist the radio knob. The dj says, "It looks like another ugly rainy day." Well, this interpretation would be considered the antithesis of what I was thinking. And, if you want to see an ugly day, let us not have so-called ugly rain for six months, and you'll see a string of truly ugly days as all the vegetation turns to straw. But, here's the thing: and I am learning this myself, and I am trying to absorb this and really teach myself this... You see, really, every time you speak... the words and ideas you convey... you're putting a type of emotion out into the world. Why not choose for it to be a bit more upbeat? And, I'm learning this, and I'm trying to follow this, and I often miss the mark. I'll tell you that right now. And, sometimes it's fun to complain. See, I'm keeping it real folks. But, I'm trying...

So, that's it. I could go on, but it's not necessary. That's the idea. The idea was expressed. And, disc jockey and everyone else, stop telling me to interpret negatively, because it's easy enough for a person to go that direction without any help.