Profiles in Positivity

Inspired by Mark D.'s recent blog entry on the importance of being kind, I've been thinking about positivity and the act of maintaining a positive outlook. While I generally try to look on the bright side of things, I think people who know me well would agree that I'm a mixed bag. I try to be polite and present a shiny surface, but I've been known to use my powers for evil. I tend to think of my attitude as "willed optimism," and sometimes the will fails the wish. So, in the spirit of Mark's post, I'd like to present three people I know that embody a true sense of positivity and kindness.

As fitting of the person who inspired this post, the first is Mark D. I met Mark a few years back through another fine Mark, and have been a big fan ever since. We've been to Burning Man a few times, romped through Las Vegas and Reno, built things, burned things, eaten a lot of fine food and had many, many drunken nights together. Best of all, he introduced me to Sara. The thing that has always struck me about Mark is that for him, being kind is a means of leadership. Having worked on a few group projects with him, I've come to understand that real leadership is more than intelligence, skill, and patience, all traits that Mark possesses to great depth; more importantly, people will follow a leader who they feel has their best interest at heart and isn't afraid to do the right thing. If imitation is the greatest form of flattery, then let me say that I have tried, since I've known him, to be more like Mark.

My second profile in positivity is Martin. We met through a mutual friend in Seattle, and though we've really only known each other for about four years, it seems like we've been friends for ages. Martin is a talented musician, artist, writer, and game designer, and once upon a time, he tried to explain the mathematics that lie behind the successful statistical balancing and calibration of a collectible card game. While I successfully studied applied calculus in college and generally think of myself as a pretty smart guy, it was completely beyond my comprehension, at which point he unaffectedly mentioned that he was also an accomplished mathematician before he decided to devote his life to art, music, and storytelling. Normally, I would be jealous of this kind of talent in one person, but with Martin, I can only feel glad that one person can encompass that kind of span. In the midst of all this, as he launches one project after another, zips off to Berlin to play bass with his punk band, flies to New York to negotiate a multimedia game deal, works on restoring his new house, and mixes down his wife's new album, he still finds time to tend to others in a way moves beyond mere politeness and reveals true caring.

My third profile is my friend, Corinne. We've known each other since high school, though we didn't really start spending a lot of time together until college. Corinne is undauntingly happy in the midst of the most ridiculous extremes. I've wondered at her ability to literally laugh in the face of a storm, such as she did at Burning Man 2000, when 60-70 mph winds and duststorms threatened to flatten our encampment and fling all of our belongings across the playa. While I cussed and ran around trying to fix everything, Corinne laughed at it all and eventually made me realize that there wasn't much more I could do except let go. Everything turned out just fine. When you've known each other as long as Corinne and I have, and have been through as much as we have, there comes a time when you're more family than friends, and this is true of us. And like brothers and sisters, we have our fights, which almost always end with Corinne sticking her tongue out at me, calling me a name, and me realizing what a fuddy-duddy I've become. And thank God for that.

They say that the measure of a man is the company he keeps. If I'm to be measured by my friends, then I must be doing damn good.