Statements of Fact

View from the top of St. John's bridge taken with my phone.

            I woke up to find snow falling yesterday. I got dressed huffily throwing on a raincoat and boots as I stormed out the door. In Portland, I expected the rain but snow—I didn’t sign up for snow.  Admittedly, I am being melodramatic; once the snow touched the ground, it never stuck. But, the point was, I was frustrated by the circumstances I couldn’t control. Later that day, I went on a run under blue skies with brisk steps on dry pavement. Blasting “The Beatles” I rejoiced in the turn of events.

            Last semester, leading up until finals my roommates and I decided that we would say nothing but positive things. I can’t say that we were completely successful but we did become more aware of our negativity. The debate over negativity and SOFs (statement of facts) became frequent. SOFs being acceptable, we were drawing the line between what was simply a truth and what was an unnecessary negative comment. I think that that desire for control and the attempt at positivity are enormously connected. There are some things in life that are uncontrollable, the weather for instance. Others that are undoubtedly in our control: whether we get out of bed for that 8:10 class, not eating that extra slice of pie when we have already had one two hours before, or finally taking the time to do the laundry that has been piling up. Then, there is the gray-area that is embraced by civil rights and social justice.

            After buying the ticket for Costa Rica yesterday, I started to think of the long flight over. The uncontrollables once I landed: what if the taxi took me two hours the wrong way, what if after a month I make no difference, or better—what if I miss my flight (it wouldn’t be the first time)? The uncontrollables took hold and the only solution was to think of the sunshine after the snow—the positives. Once I crossed the St. John’s bridge on my run, I stopped and smiled out of thankfulness. I thought to myself “today I ran in the sunshine. Tomorrow, the snow will not be a negative—only a SOF.”