Mrs. Lynde is properly memorable

There has been some talk lately that the book club may do a series on the ever-so-Canadian Anne of Green Gables shortly in the future. This has me led to reminisce about my brief but unsuccessful encounter with the book two summers ago, when Cindy, delighted that I had enjoyed Salmon Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of Stories, suggested Anne as the next logical modern children's classic to tackle. Sadly, the residents of Green Gables failed to entertain me, and I only managed to read half of the book before moving on to another more interesting one about the untimely passing of a dog.

I don't remember much about Anne anymore, but the severe Mrs. Lynde has a line in the book (I think she may have cribbed it from Jonathon Swift) that I've always liked and found appropriate from time to time: "Blessed are they who expect nothing for they shall not be disappointed". Now, I know, of course, that going through life with such a terribly defeatist motto would be foolish and unnecessarily tragic. But there are moments when I think I should learn to expect a little less to avoid meeting disappointment when lofty expectations unexpectedly fall through.

Okay, enough with my waxing philosophical about silly aphorisms. Here's a practical demonstration of it: I opened my breakfast bag this morning and found not one, but two muffins! See? No expectation but a pleasant (and rather filling) surprise! Now, if I were to expect another round of such generosity tomorrow morning, I'm sure you'd find me a very pouty boy, indeed.


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