Briefly Noted

I consider myself an optimistic contrarian. Having a positive viewpoint that is at complete variance with the general population’s is everything to do with egotism and stubbornness. It is, in essence, the product of genius. You have to be ready to plunge into dangerous currents of original thinking.This is why gamblers, candidates for president and young lovers are the best examples of optimistic contrarianism.

It is not simply that choosing to believe the opposite of the majority viewpoint is brave, bold and brilliant.More important is the fact that holding onto an idea that’s original shows true depth of character.This is because 1. You know your idea is qualitatively better than anyone else’s; 2. You like being different for the sake of it; and 3. You like arguing with yourself.

But beware. It’s tricky. Go too far against the grain and they may pull you off the street and send you to Mayview. Be merely radical and they’ll accuse you of insincerity.

So, here are a few examples of positive adversity. As a contrarian, try arguing that John McCain would actually make a firstrate presidential contender. As a positive contrarian, suggest he would make a firstrate Democratic Party contender.Warning: Around here, you should wear a helmet when proceeding to argue this point. In true contrarian fashion, suggest to a group of ardent dieters that huge quantities of meat and potatoes would be a perfect formula for dieting (on the basis that great mountains of victuals would induce rejection). As a positive contrarian, you might opine that it would truly help their cause if they ate nothing and instead concentrated on enjoying images in cook books.Warning: keep at least a carrotlength’s distance away from your audience.

After a particularly bad game, wonder aloud as a contrarian whether the players do better giving up sport and doing some good works for the community (planting trees, say). Of course, if they wanted to stay together, you could intimate that they take up group knitting (this of course will work better if the players in question are males).

If your daughter’s first date is the most wretched-looking, uninteresting, uncouth and uninspired youth you have ever beheld, show your daughter how much you like her choice. Your contrarian nature will induce you to suggest, though, that she ought to love him at a distance, say by joining a nunnery.The positive contrarian in you will, in contrast, ask the couple with the most innocent look you can contrive, whether they have formulated any ideas yet “about the future…”

Lastly, here’s a thought about your own development as a professional contrarian. Spend a couple of hours at the Meadows. Construction, dust, temporary quarters are the order of the day. Nevertheless, with a view over the track, a contrarian would ignore the harness racing, instead spending his time studying the form at West Virginia’s dog tracks. But an optimistic contrarian would take his seat, buy a racing program and proceed to bet on true outsiders.Who can insist that they have absolutely no chance of winning?

A single successful perfecta bet involving choosing two complete losers (sorry, outsiders) to win in two consecutive races could instantly restore the gambler’s confidence and fortunes.He or she could then saunter over to the casino and play the penny slots until the following day. My point is that it doesn’t matter whether you win or lose, but to misquote that great Southern sports writer, Grantland Rice, it’s how you view the world.

FEATURES

Hurdling to Victory

Thanks to Coach Heiser Who Came Back From the Future to Save SF’s Athletic Program



Cover Focus
Freshman hurdler Josh Godwin during a recent meet.

South Fayette Rocks with Footloose
The musical story of a town’s toe-tapping transformation.

Cleaning Up
Volunteers were out in force this spring tidying up sections of South Fayette.

Landfill Power
How Waste Management keeps your trash out of sight and turns garbage into clean energy.

Special Needs
The school district has created a unique learning opportunity for one particular student.

History: Part One
Brushing up on South Fayette’s intriguing past.

History: Part Two
Honoring SF’s fallen in America’s wars.

Cupcakes for Seniors
When kids team up to cook food for seniors, you can bet the result is likely to be mouthwatering.

Message From the Superintendent

Sixth-grader Recognized

Green Machine Wins
“Best School Band”