this is actualy a poem we have been called naive as if it were a dirty word, whe have been called innocent as though with shame our cheeks should bu… - Jewel

We have been called naive as if it were a dirty word
We have been called innocent as though with shame our cheeks should burn
So We visited with the careful idols of cynicism to learn to sneer and pant and walk
so as not to feel the scales of judgment rub wrongly
But we say,
some things must remain simple
some things must remain untouched and pure

I kept getting typified as this Pollyanna neohippie. I think it's because I have a different definition of optimism. I've noticed a belief that somehow optimism lacks intelligence and that optimism stems from a lack of experience and naiveté. I don't believe that. I believe optimism is a choice. Cynicism isn't smarter, it's just safer.

While the women in Alaska certainly knew they were physically weaker than most men, it never meant they weren’t cleaver enough to find a way to get the job done

The successful parents I saw were able to redefine who they were and renegotiate their needs and roles as humans, parents, and partners.