Pollyanna-ish

“When you look for the bad, expecting it, you will get it.” (from Pollyanna, by Eleanor Porter, 1913)

Is it just me, or is it really annoying when someone feels compelled to point out the good in a bad situation?  The economy is wrecked.  More than 500,000 Americans are dead from Covid.  A large minority of Americans still believe in conspiratorial fairy tales while simultaneously confusing fascism for democracy. And, oh yes, despite the deniers of climate change, the weather continues wreaking its destructive fury. Still, on occasion, I read an article or watch a piece on T.V. trying to make lemons into lemonade, showing the good that has come out of the turmoil of 2020. It’s so pollyannaish . . . which leads me to the topic of this blog.

Due to the pandemic and our quarantined lifestyle, my wife and I often spend evenings at home trying to find shows to watch.  One night, in search of something light and nostalgic, we watched the 1960 Disney movie Pollyanna, an adaptation of a novel by the same name, written by Eleanor Porter and published in 1913.

The story is of an orphan, Pollyanna, who moves to a small town to live with her rich, but dour aunt. Pollyanna has an indomitably optimistic spirit. No matter how bad the circumstances, she looks for something to be glad about.  This “Glad Game” was taught to her by her father as a way to cope with hardship. Not only does Pollyanna apply the Glad Game to her own life, but she teaches the game to several unhappy people in the town. Subsequently, these once grumpy people become loving and content. Thanks to Pollyanna, the town is transformed into a caring community. Ultimately, Pollyanna's optimism is put to the test when she has an accident and can no longer walk. She becomes depressed, but the town rallies to her side. They remind her of the gladness she has brought to the community and her optimistic spirit is renewed.

Released in 1960, reflecting the optimism and naivety of the 50’s, the spirit of Pollyanna didn’t resonate well into the 60’s. With the assassinations JFK, Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, with the Viet Nam war, Watergate, and racial unrest, the nation was no longer so optimistic or naïve.  To be a Pollyanna was pejorative. It implied a deaf ear and indifferent attitude toward the plight of the disenfranchised.  It implied a blind trust in leaders that had led badly. A Pollyanna was more than just an optimist who saw the glass half-full. A Pollyanna insisted the glass was perfect and contained just the perfect amount of liquid, despite all the cracks and leaks.

No one would ever accuse me of being a Pollyanna.  But neither do I want to be too hard on those who might lean a bit towards the pollyannaish.  There may be an occasional time and place for the Glad Game.  After all, with the pandemic, I am glad to have had so many evenings alone with my wife, watching movies and having our conversations.  And, but for the mess that was 2020, I might not be so glad that its now 2021.