Thank you, Pomegranate!

Timeless questions.

What is reality? How do you test reality? When do you “accept reality”? How do you “mold reality” to meet your desires? When do you give up your dreams, or should you ever do so?

When is Hope necessary and useful? When does Hope become a harmful burden?

I doubt my ability to resolve those questions. The results of the University of Michigan / Carnegie Mellon University colostomy study are intriguing, but doubtless not all that can be learned about Hope's role in human life and function.

In personal hindsight, I can see where Hope usefully kept me going during some life episodes AND where it kept me going in the wrong direction at other times. Hope for me has been both a blessing and a betrayer. I wish I had had the discernment to tell the difference at the time.

Nowadays I live without Hope (or perhaps, without reference to Hope). Absent from everyday life, Hope isn't constantly throwing fuel on the fires of my depression.