Rose-Tinted Glasses

[To wear rose-tinted glasses:

To assume an unduly optimistic and cheerful attitude; to focus solely or primarily on the positive aspects of something]

It’s not that easy. You won’t understand, not when you have those rose tinted glasses on.”

Why don’t you put them on too? Why don’t you try mine and see how you feel?”

I don’t want to. Not yet. Stop forcing them on me!”

But you will feel better once you put them on too.”

Do you think I don’t know that? Give me some time. I recently broke my last pair.”

More time? Why would you need more time? How can you resist the feeling of using these? Get a new pair already!”

I cannot just ‘get a new pair’. And I don’t know if I can afford to wear a new pair after my last one was cracked beyond repair, and the one before that and the one before that and the one…… in fact I don’t recall having any pair that has lasted long. They are ever so fragile.”

Argh! Why are you behaving like this? Wear a new pair and you will simply forget all those negative thoughts once you start seeing the world through the tinted glasses.”

It doesn’t work that way. Besides, I’m not sure if I want to. They bring me bad luck. Every time I put them on, I end up falling flat on my face. Sometimes someone just punches me square in the face and I end up with a pair of broken and cracked glasses. And there is no one who knows how to repair them wherever I ask. I’m not sure if I’m ready to bear any of that pain again.”

I can’t understand you! How can you roam about without the glasses? What will all the people say if they see you without them?”

No one truly cares anyway. Nor do they notice when I don’t wear them. People don’t notice things like this until they take their own glasses off. You wouldn’t have either. Not if I hadn’t told you that I broke them…..again.”

I wish you hadn’t. Talking about broken glasses makes me feel like mine are about to slip off!”

Are you so insecure about your ability to hold onto them?”

Unlike yours, mine haven’t ever broken before! Anyway, you will only keep cribbing like this. I’m going to have to make you wear this pair myself. Once you wear them you’ll see….”

Hey, stop forcing them on me. It hurts! I need more time!”

Why don’t you stop running then? C’mon now, stop right there!”

Just leave me alone. It’s better than this. I shouldn’t have ever told you….”

..If you stop running for a second I can….oh no …oh God, I tripped…I’m falling!!”

Are you okay?!”

No! My glasses…What am I going to do now?”

Broken them have you?”

Uh yes….but I….How am I going to find another pair…I don’t want another pair…who is going to repair them?”

Now you understand….”

Yeah…I’m sorry.”

You know what. I don’t believe we need to get another pair.”

What do you mean?”

Maybe we need to take our own time and repair them ourselves even if we do a shabby job.”

But the cracks…”

Maybe they are supposed to be there. Maybe the next time we put our glasses on we can see the incoming punch better through the cracks in the rose-tinted lens.

Maybe we will even be able to spot others with broken glasses through these cracks. What if we were supposed to wear the cracked ones all along?”

Well… I guess you are right. Let’s try to patch them up.”

— by Artemis Fowl