The Columnist Manifesto

... given my tendency to worry. But take the other day, when I had this dialogue with my colleague, Phil, a senior professor at My Law School:

Phil: How are things shaping up for the summer?
Oscar: Really well.
Phil: Why do you say that?

Why did I say that? It's my positive outlook. A vague sense of well being and a kind of irrepressible sense of optimism about the future that may not quite jibe with the dour facts about the world going to hell in a handbasket. So I replied:

Oscar: Who knows?

But Phil, in his friendly-but-blunt way, persisted:

Phil: You can't just say things are good. There has to be a reason.

How do you explain an ill-defined sense of optimism about the future? How do you catch a cloud and pin it down? Then this weird thing happened. Music started, as if over a loudspeaker. And I started singing:

Oscar: Could it be? Yes, it could. Something's coming, something good ... If I can wait! Something's coming, I don't know what it is, but it is gonna be great! Phil, the air is humming, .... and something great is coming!