That good ol' "Say Never Whenever" attitude...

My daughter was visiting us, so we went out for sushi (the only reasonable thing to do). She told us she wasn't going to quit searching for a new job until she landed the perfect one.

I said, "That's that good ol' never-say-never West attitude!" Silence fell over our table like a heavy-weight drop-cloth. I thought about what I'd said, then realized it was total crap.

"Wait, I don't really have that attitude, do I?" They both agreed I didn't.

In fact, my wife amended it by saying, "It's more like 'say-never-whenever!'"

After my family had a good laugh at my expense, I realized how true it was. I make Eeyore look like Lil' Suzie Sunshine. Grumpy Cat's got nothing on me. But I think that negativity is a West hereditary trait, one passed down from generation to generation.

My grandma had it. Every day she described her day as "long and boring." 

It's been passed on to my mother, natch. I need to quit asking her how she's doing. 

"I can't see beans, can't do nothin', and I'm good for nothin'," she delights in sharing with me. "I'm going bye-bye soon, I know I am."

What fun and pass the razor blades!

So, to an extent, I see that negativity impacting my life as well. But as long as I can see that behavior in my mother and grandmother, I can fight turning into them. Right? RIGHT? For the love of Pete, tell me I'm right!

I told my wife not to let me ever turn into that guy.

She said, "I already see it happening."

I said, "Really? But I'm not that bad, right? Don't let me ever get that bad!"

She shrugged, kinda agreed to it. But I could tell her heart wasn't in it. Ah well, guess I'll go all in on the self-fulfilling prophecy of it all. Grumble, grumble...

Speaking of cranky ol' men, there's a cranky ol' mean woman at the heart of "Halloweenie Roast," one of the many short stories in my collection, Twisted Tales from Tornado Alley. She's near and dear to my heart as she wages life and death war on a particularly nasty trio of trick 'r treaters. I lived through her vicariously and loved every misanthropic moment! So THERE.