“…And most generally there is something about everything that you can be glad about, if you keep hunting long enough to find it.”
from Pollyanna
written by Eleanor Hodgman Porter
various illustrators
first published by L.C. Page, 1913
(read on Libby downloaded 1/24/26)
My mom often cautioned me not to be a Pollyanna. And although I had never read any of the Pollyanna books, I knew just what Mom meant.
Pollyanna hardly remembered her mother. And before her minister father’s untimely passing, he taught Pollyanna “the glad game.” They played the game together when a situation was not particularly to their liking. She played it with her Ladies Aiders when they brought her donated clothing and when she was sent to live with her Aunt Polly.
Making the best of a bad or unfortunate situation was the point of the game. Pollyanna was very good at playing it and taught the game to all the people in her world.
It could go something like this. The largest snowfall buried most of my small city in well over a foot of snow. The single-digit temperature added a layer of challenge for anyone needing to leave their house.
The possibility of homeless people freezing to death or at the very least dealing with frostbite, shut-ins not able to get medicine, or a medical emergency or a fire, would have occurred to Pollyanna and her father. They chose to ignore the dire consequences though, and instead concentrated on the beauty of the fresh snow, the industry of snowplows and their drivers, and families reconnecting over board games and hot chocolate.
Then there’s the ostrich and its very interesting maxim (false, by the way) of burying its head in the sand.
Unlike Pollyanna and those glad souls whose default is optimism or (false?) cheer, when an ostrich finds itself in a difficult situation, if it thinks it can get away with it, an ostrich will freeze in place to blend in with its background.
Ostriches are too heavy to fly and their wings are too weak. But ostriches can run. It’s stride reaches over 10 feet and it can run at a continuous speed of up to 43 miles per hour.
So when an ostrich is afraid, it does not bury its head in the sand. In any case, it would not be able to breathe, and even an animal with a bird brain will not suffocate itself on purpose.
Ostriches build their nests on the ground, sometimes in sand, sometimes in dirt. Several times a day, they must turn their eggs to make sure they hatch. Since their heads are very small compared to their bodies, from a distance it could look like they are burying their heads when in fact, they are reaching into their large nests or possibly pecking for food.
Some people are like Pollyanna, always finding cheer in difficulty. Some are more like an ostrich, avoiding difficulty altogether.
I propose that neither ignoring what is difficult like Pollyanna nor running away like an ostrich is an effective way to face our current challenges.
We need to practice a middle way. Aware but not consumed. Angry but not violent. Vocal but not belligerent.
Observe our circumstances.
Determine a course of action.
Act.
Will you join me and millions of others who use 5 Calls? Find all about them here. Use your phone to download their app.
Mom also advised me not to wear my heart on my sleeve. That’s a bit harder for me, and a subject for another day.
I’m reading Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter (since the title is in the public domain, it is available from many publishers and as an ebook). A little corny, but still relevant and moves along quickly.
-—Be curious! (and stay as involved as you can)
from Pollyanna
written by Eleanor Hodgman Porter
various illustrators
first published by L.C. Page, 1913
(read on Libby downloaded 1/24/26)
My mom often cautioned me not to be a Pollyanna. And although I had never read any of the Pollyanna books, I knew just what Mom meant.
Pollyanna hardly remembered her mother. And before her minister father’s untimely passing, he taught Pollyanna “the glad game.” They played the game together when a situation was not particularly to their liking. She played it with her Ladies Aiders when they brought her donated clothing and when she was sent to live with her Aunt Polly.
Making the best of a bad or unfortunate situation was the point of the game. Pollyanna was very good at playing it and taught the game to all the people in her world.
It could go something like this. The largest snowfall buried most of my small city in well over a foot of snow. The single-digit temperature added a layer of challenge for anyone needing to leave their house.
The possibility of homeless people freezing to death or at the very least dealing with frostbite, shut-ins not able to get medicine, or a medical emergency or a fire, would have occurred to Pollyanna and her father. They chose to ignore the dire consequences though, and instead concentrated on the beauty of the fresh snow, the industry of snowplows and their drivers, and families reconnecting over board games and hot chocolate.
Then there’s the ostrich and its very interesting maxim (false, by the way) of burying its head in the sand.
Unlike Pollyanna and those glad souls whose default is optimism or (false?) cheer, when an ostrich finds itself in a difficult situation, if it thinks it can get away with it, an ostrich will freeze in place to blend in with its background.
Ostriches are too heavy to fly and their wings are too weak. But ostriches can run. It’s stride reaches over 10 feet and it can run at a continuous speed of up to 43 miles per hour.
So when an ostrich is afraid, it does not bury its head in the sand. In any case, it would not be able to breathe, and even an animal with a bird brain will not suffocate itself on purpose.
Ostriches build their nests on the ground, sometimes in sand, sometimes in dirt. Several times a day, they must turn their eggs to make sure they hatch. Since their heads are very small compared to their bodies, from a distance it could look like they are burying their heads when in fact, they are reaching into their large nests or possibly pecking for food.
Some people are like Pollyanna, always finding cheer in difficulty. Some are more like an ostrich, avoiding difficulty altogether.
I propose that neither ignoring what is difficult like Pollyanna nor running away like an ostrich is an effective way to face our current challenges.
We need to practice a middle way. Aware but not consumed. Angry but not violent. Vocal but not belligerent.
Observe our circumstances.
Determine a course of action.
Act.
Will you join me and millions of others who use 5 Calls? Find all about them here. Use your phone to download their app.
Mom also advised me not to wear my heart on my sleeve. That’s a bit harder for me, and a subject for another day.
I’m reading Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter (since the title is in the public domain, it is available from many publishers and as an ebook). A little corny, but still relevant and moves along quickly.
-—Be curious! (and stay as involved as you can)
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