In this frightening time when this invisible killer has us locked down in front of our TVs, there is no shortage of gloomsayers and doomsdayers preaching on the news stations. When we hear the predictors of massive infections and economic ruin say this pandemic can last for months or even years, they leave us with little room for hope and optimism.

All signs point to despair. The glass for most of the experts is half empty. Yet, for those of us who profess a sliver of hope, you might understandably say we must be caught inside a vortex of disillusionment.

Or are we? Let’s make the case to see that the glass is half full. All of the following quotes have been taken out of context and none have any reference to the current health crisis, but their relevance is meaningful nonetheless.

American psychologist Martin Seligman said, “There is an interesting scientific dispute about realism and optimism. Some find that very optimistic people have benign illusions about themselves. These people may think they have more control, or more skill, than they actually do. Others have found that optimistic people have a good handle on reality. The jury is still out.”

Twentieth century German evangelical pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “The essence of optimism is that it takes no account of the present, but it is a source of inspiration, of vitality and hope where others have resigned; it enables a man to hold his head high, to claim the future for himself and not to abandon it to his enemy.”

A larger concern outside the coronavirus pandemic is the potential breaking of what has been the backbone of American survival through multiple wars, a Great Depression, and the murder of thousands of our people upon our native soil. Hope and optimism for a better tomorrow have always prevailed and now is a time when we might do well to listen to Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” blaring in synchrony from our house radios.

Singer Gloria Estefan’s words are relevant to this call for courage. “There are so many difficult things we’re living through in the world today, so many horrible events, but we cannot let them stop us. No matter what happens, I feel you must move forward with optimism and not get totally sideswiped.”

Author James David Vance adds, “It’s amazing to think how powerful of a force optimism and hope can be. It’s the thing that saves me. I believe that I live in the greatest country in the world. …”

To delve into America’s past is to prove that we have always conquered what might conquer us. Starting with the colonists’ defeat of the heavily favored British that won our independence and gave birth to our country, we have defeated every single threat that has tried to bring us to our knees.

American historian Douglas Southall Freeman said, “I would say that the study of history is that which gives man the greatest optimism, for if man were not destined by his Maker to go on until the Kingdom of Heaven is attained, man would have been extinguished long ago by reason of all man’s mistakes and frailties.”

Perhaps we should lean on the wisdom of our oldest population that has survived a plethora of atrocities aimed at breaking their spirit.

American author and dance choreographer Twyla Tharp wrote, “Optimism with some experience behind it is much more energizing than plain old experience with a certain degree of cynicism.”

Former Pulitzer Prize winning author the late Studs Terkel saw the ideals of optimism as a no-brainer when it came to his attitude toward anything that was intrinsically a negative force.

“With optimism, you look upon the sunny side of things … I have hope because what’s the alternative to hope? Despair? If you have despair, you might as well put your head in the oven.”

Another valid point concerns what we are doing with our lives while we await the all-clear sign to be released from our homes and move back into the social world. These are hours and days that count against the time clock of our mortality.

Singer-songwriter the late Harry Nilsson once said, “I do believe that most men live lives of quiet desperation. For despair, optimism is the only practical solution. Hope is practical. Because if you eliminate that, it’s pretty scary. Hope at least gives you the option of living.”

English theoretical scientist Stephen Hawking, who died in 2018 from Lou Gehrig’s disease, said, “There are grounds for cautious optimism that we may now be near the end of the search for the ultimate laws of nature.” Of course, Hawking was not referring to this pandemic, but the very first law of nature is self-preservation. We Americans are hard-wired to do whatever it takes to stay alive.

Anne Frank, who spent two years hiding from the terrible evil of the Nazi regime, wrote in her diary words that can help steer our thoughts into a positive direction as we awaken to the uncertainty of another day.

“I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.”

Rich Strack can be reached at katehep11@gmail.com.