Big Optimism
I came across this term last week and couldn’t help but immediately writing it down on a piece of paper and deciding that moment that Big Optimism would be the subject of my next log and so here it is….
The Star Spangled Banner above is the last picture I took outside Lou Moore’s home in Fort Worth, Texas in July 2019. Luther McKee Moore was part of the Greatest Generation and served in the US Navy at the tail end of the WW II and more. A Texas native, he went on to work for various railroad companies, oil & gas companies and more…traveling for work from Texas to the upper midwest, the south, West Texas and he finally retired with the love of his life Shirley back in Fort Worth. Shirley was from West Virginia and grew up in the Huntington area. Shirley passed away in 2008 and Lou passed away later in 2019.
Lou & Shirley were the quintessential couple married for over 65 years and from a generation that saw much hardship: The Great Depression, World War II and more…but the one thing I learned from them was this sense of Big Optimism about America, about Americans and about our way of life. They befriended good people everywhere they lived and were welcoming and warm to all. I got to know them at the age of 24 through my uncle who worked with Lou and later on got very close to Lou over the years. I think I saw both of them and later Lou at least once a year from 1992 to 2019…almost 27 years and over half my life.
Lou was a great storyteller and it was so much fun drinking beers, enjoying good Texas BBQ and visiting with them. Shirley talked to everyone anywhere and anytime….be it Walmart, Kroger, a museum or a restaurant…you’d have to drag her back to the car! The one theme I heard and tuned into over and over again was this sense of unlimited possibilities, the sense of good among everyone and most importantly consistently believing in the good in people, always. To me that is the simplest definition of Big Optimism.
I lost my Dad at the age of 16 and if I had anyone close to replacing my own father, it was Lou Moore. My Dad firmly believed in America and the concept of America. Lou continued to be that Big Optimistic Dad to me. He came from nothing, led a good life, retired and passed away peacefully in his sleep in his bed at his home with a sense of accomplishment, love and a life lived well. Regardless of the hurdles he faced and bad decisions he may have made, he forged ahead with that all American and Texan ‘Can-Do’ attitude.
Lou remained grounded and always talked about his parents, his childhood, his few years at TCU and his work experience with a genuineness that was so refreshing to me. He was always aware of his context and he had the great ability to focus on the what was happening in the moment with great ferocity. He was an avid reader and a great driver that knew every back road there ever was in Fort Worth.
Mindfulness is the art of Focus with Full Awareness as we define at Mindful-CPA. With his Big Optimism, Lou lived a mindful life. I realize that today. And it blows my mind! He moved from one thing to another with focus and full awareness and that holds true for so many of his generation.
Big Optimism comes with an unceasing belief and security in knowing that all things are possible and you keep on keeping on. Being mindful comes with an unceasing belief and security that all things are possible and you keep on keeping on. Being Mindful is Big Optimism. Lou taught me that and I will always be thankful to him.
Be Mindful.