In one of his final essays , Oliver Sacks wrote about what he felt after an accident left him dragging himself down a mountain with a broken leg. Memories of all sorts came to him, but he described an overwhelming feeling of gratitude through them all. It was surprising to read about, and I very much doubt that, were I in the same situation, gratitude is what I would feel. Being positive has always been hard for me. My mind latches on to what's wrong, and tends to dwell on it excessively. This is by no means unique to me; the human mind seems adept at remembering negative events, to the detriment of happier thoughts. It is a terrible way of thinking about life, viewing it through this particular glass. There is, after all, much to be grateful for, even when things often seem so abysmally dark. Sacks was reflecting back over eight decades of life; I have nowhere near that amount of time to reflect upon, but even looking at the past few years is enough. It is hard for me to ima...
Occasional author. Lover of coffee.