Dudgeon.

Walking through the park the other day, I said, "Where is it?" "What," my wife said. "Don't you hear it? Some idiot and his hyper-powered car stereo." I felt the hip-hop bass--strangely like an early honkytonk beat--deep in my chest. I turned and noticed my wife's expression. "I'm really turning into a curmudgeon, right?" "More and more," she said. It's an age thing, we agreed. "Maybe I need to go get a job," I said. But I have no intention of doing that. Besides, I spent the last couple of years at work mad most of the time. But here's the deal: I don't want to fall into the habit of anger, cynicism, sarcasm, irony. It'd be easy to do, writing a blog. I look around, and many, maybe most, are written by very angry people. I believe we all have a right to get angry at our government, or criminals, terrorists, con men, especially those in corporations, as well as stupidity in all its applications. But I don't want to be angry all the time, or at everything, and there's more than enough Web space devoted to irony and bile. I'm looking for another way. I'm open to suggestions. Mainly, though, I think I'm a realistic optimist. I'd rather be hopeful and feel good.