Otherwise, life could drive you nuts

Pray for the best.

Expect the worst.

Anybody got any more profound words of wisdom than those?

Managing expectations, some very bright people will tell you, is the key to happiness. The path to sadness is paved with disappointment, and what leads to disappointment? Your expectations, your assumptions. What, you assumed our country was poised to pit two of its greatest citizens against one another for the presidency of the United States? As the noted British philosopher Benny Hill illuminated, “When you assume, you make an ass- (of) -u- (and) -me.”

Most mortals coming face to face with bureaucracies have witnessed Mr. Hill’s truth. This is not to suggest that anyone who heads to a place like a drivers license facility ever assumes anything, like being in and out in 10 minutes and the transaction costing less than you’d expected. But we were impressed with today’s letter to the editor from a Hayden resident who turned a perfectly rotten, frustrating morning into, well, a morning that was at least a little less rotten than high expectations might have dictated.

In writing, Mr. McHatton shares an additional serving of wisdom. When things don’t go the way you assumed or expected them to, make light of it if you can. You might find yourself in fine company.

We would go so far as to suggest that when all else fails in the face of bureaucratic nightmares unfolding before your eyes, a sincere friendly word or a good, timely joke can break the tension beautifully. Either that or some big bureaucrat will break your face.

Stephen Hawking likely thinks those kind of risks worth taking. “When one’s expectations are reduced to zero,” he said, “one really appreciates everything one does have.”

And one thing we all have is the ability to smile.