Optimism and Restaurants
This time of year, I think often about politics. I think about policy, the people who enact those policies, and what the next legislative season might bring. Often, these thoughts carry a strong dose of cynicism. I have it in me to dwell in the negative, particularly when it is so easy to see the ugliness that pervades this world.
But occasionally the world also brings a dose of joy and optimism in the most unexpected places. These moments serve as a reminder of the joy we ought to carry. Today, I re-encountered Marilyn Hagerty, the 86-year-old writer for the Grand Forks Herald in North Dakota. Ms. Hagerty gained fame in 2012 for her delightful review of the local Oliver Garden. This week, the Herald published her food review for Applebee’s, entitled “A Salad to Remember,” and it similarly shares a joyfulness not often associated with chain restaurants.
Though I would still take KC’s Lidia’s for my local Italian fare and Pierpont’s for my local grille, I can’t help but appreciate the pleasure Ms. Hagerty clearly enjoyed during her meal. Now perhaps it says more about the dining options in Grand Forks North Dakota that she should offer so much praise for an Applebee’s salad, but I suspect it has more to do with how Ms. Hagerty lives her life and the optimism she carries.
Her writing reminded me of Ecclesiastes 12: “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them.’” I have always veered toward the pessimistic side, but I do so more easily today than I did in my youth, and I think this reflects Solomon’s advice—optimism and simple joy comes much more easily in adolescence. I see this in my daughters, and I regularly see the opposite for those at the end of life. But this does not seem to be the case for Ms. Hagerty, and I know it should not be the case for me.
Nehemiah—one of my favorite political figures—offered this in Nehemiah 8:10, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” There is joy in God that is worth sharing. Christ offers hope that buoys the spirit, a hope that overcomes the cynicism of this world.
Youthfulness passes far too quickly, which was something Solomon appreciated. But there are also reminders like Romans 15 that—regardless of age or youth—the “God of hope fill[s us] with all joy and peace as [we] trust in him.” Whether it arises from the enjoyment of choice food or the sweet companionship of a friend, it is worthwhile to look for the reminders of joy and reminders of hope that ultimately come from God.
