The Glad Game

Hayley Mills as Pollyanna (1960). N'aww.

“When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will.”

Makes sense, doesn’t it? But the opposite can be said for Pollyanna, the eternal optimist of the 1960 film who looks for nothing but the good in the people around her, and finds it. Even the most cynical person would be hard-pressed to not be moved in some way by her outlook. I watched it yesterday, and it really struck a chord with me. This is a girl who spreads positivity and kindness wherever she goes; changing the initially gloomy outlook of her community and even melting the heart of the most Scrooge-like man in town. Before you make gagging sounds and think what an obnoxious little twat, just hear me out.

So what keeps Pollyanna so sunny and upbeat throughout the film? It’s her father’s creation, ‘The Glad Game’. The basic gist of the game is that you take something perceived as negative and turn it into something positive, finding something to be ‘glad’ about in every situation. This is put to the ultimate test when she loses the use of her legs, but then the people of the town pay her a visit to let her know just how much her encouragement has changed their lives.

After the film, I decided to incorporate the Glad Game into my own life. There are some days when I feel down to the extent that I give Marvin the Paranoid Android a run for his money, but then I remember that when you're happy, that in turn makes others happy, even if you don't feel it inwardly. Attitude is everything. When you go through life with that mindset, you get a lot more out of it than if you look for the worst in everyone and everything. For every depressed or even suicidal thought that enters our minds, it's important to remind ourselves that our hearts are still beating; our hand can still reach across and squeeze someone else's to comfort them; our stomach can still experience butterflies when we kiss someone for the first time; our eyes can still witness the world in all its beauty or a piece of music that gives us goose bumps. Some people don't even have sight or hearing, yet this doesn't stop them living life. No matter how old you are, there are still so many possibilities to unravel, so many adventures to be had, so many people to learn from and be inspired by. We're alive, and we therefore have the power to change things.

Now, I’m not suggesting that we go skipping around in 60s dresses, wearing yellow ribbons in our hair and speaking in sugar-sweet voices (although you’ve got to admit that would be fun). It’s impossible to be cheerful all the time - sometimes, life throws us a curveball and there seems to be no rhyme or reason for it. Without the bad times, we wouldn't appreciate the good; but we can all find something to be glad about.

Even if it’s just the fact that this piece is over ;)