In this first installment of ‘Bits of Bill‘, dad shares about an aspect of his personality.

Amid a lifetime of acquaintances, there have been those that accused me of being a negative person.  Although it was not a universal opinion, honest, self-evaluation does reveal a slanting toward negativism.  To remain truthful, however, it is necessary to point out that it is apportioned in a positive manner.

Despite the contradictory aspects, of the latter, its accuracy is verified by the manner in which a former boss spoke of me:  “McIntyre is a pessimistic optimist!”

I always hoped that to be his way of saying that, while I was a pain; I was appreciated, maybe, even needed.

My employment was with a young company, one that was growing rapidly.  Because of this over abundance of growth hormones, chaos was the normal operating mode.  Contributing to that state was the fact that much of the work force, and all of the management team, wore several caps.

Quite often, a scrap of paper would land on my desk outlining some totally implausible plan that I was expected to implement.  Inevitably, a postscript assured me:  “We know you can do it, Bill!”

Usually, the desired results were achieved, but never by the suggested means.  Dashing into an undertaking, without considering the minuses, is foolish.  This is why those with a “we can’t fail” attitude are not in the best position to see why, or how, they might.

So, I reserve the right to be negative… at times, adamantly so, but not as a defeatist.  I approach each task, or project, with my guard up.  I ferret out the potential pit falls; and find ways to overcome them.  Then, with the positive assurance of one fully prepared, I forge ahead.  Of course, I usually fall flat on my face, because positive pessimism has nothing to do with good sense, ability… or God’s will?