Sam C...you do a great job of defending the city.

That was the comment posted by sueite last Sunday, followed by the one-word question, "Why?"

The glib answer is, "Why not?"

In fact, there are a couple of posters -- not sueite -- whose own comments about this city are usually so negative that I have asked them what it is that keeps them here.

As I said to sueite in my reply, I am not "always" defending the City. I have also criticized the City on a number of occasions. I believe that sueite, and others who have occasionally asked the same question, simply take more notice of those instances when I defend the City, which by default seems to mean that I disagree with their points of view.

I inherited a "quote of the day" desk calendar at the office, and a recent quote struck me as particularly apropos: People today seem to be looking for microwave solutions to crockpot problems.

That’s it in a nutshell, isn’t it? In this age of high-tech and high-speed, of instant messaging and instant news, and with our ever-busier lifestyles, I find people have very little patience. If they identify something that they feel needs to be done one day, they are wondering why it hasn’t been done the next.

There may be valid reasons for delays in getting started on construction projects, or beginning the road painting program, or whatever else doesn’t seem to be happening quickly enough. Or… maybe there really isn’t a delay. Maybe people only perceive there to be one.

I will admit that I do frequently defend decisions made by City Council, or actions taken — or not taken — by various City departments. It isn’t because I have a vested interest in the situation, other than being a resident and taxpayer.

It is because, after considering the situations and the facts available to me, I have found no fault with the decision or action taken, or not taken. It is because I agree.

The Sault is a great place to live. Yes, there are drawbacks. Yes, City politics can be frustrating. The same could be said of any city. The Sault is still a great place to live.

In the most recent issue of the United Church Observer, in an article on church reform, there is a sidebar highlighting a couple who are editors of two right-leaning theological magazines. In it, Rev Paul Miller is quoted as saying of the renewal movements, "They have to be careful that they only seem to be against things. Their challenge is now to be positive and not just critical."

That’s a distinction I’ve been increasingly making in my own life over the past decade.

As I said in my reply to sueite, I make an effort to not always be negative, and to try to find something positive to say. I also will not offer unwarranted criticism. This is not to say I will not offer criticism where it I believe it to be warranted, but when I do so I prefer to offer constructive criticism.

Let’s be honest; anyone can criticize and find fault in someone or something.

When I took my First Aid Instructor’s course, the Instructor-Trainers stressed the need to always be positive with the students, even when telling them what they were doing wrong. Their advice was to start by offering a positive comment, telling them where they needed to improve, and then conclude by providing yet another positive reinforcement.

For instance: "You’re doing a really good job, and the way you talk to the ‘patient’ is very reassuring. You do need to work on getting the sling in place without moving the arm quite so much. But, once the sling was in place it was at just the right height and provided perfect support."

Now, that method is better suited for dealing one-on-one with an individual, but it does convey the sense that criticism needs to be balanced with praise.

It’s a lesson anyone who has seen the Disney movie "Bambi" has learned. After making fun of Bambi, Thumper is gently reprimanded by his mother, who asks if he remembers what his father always says. Greatly abashed, Thumper replies, "If you can’t say nuthin’ nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all."

We have probably all, at one time or another, ignored the advice of Thumper’s father. I know I have.

Still, I do try to maintain a positive outlook. There may be things I gripe about from time to time, from minor pet peeves to more major issues. Life isn’t perfect, nor is it always fair. But overall, whatever I may find to complain about I can usually also find more things that please me. Not always, but most of the time.

I’ve learned that my mood can be influenced by others, and by events around me. Most of all, though, I’ve come to learn that it is up to me, and me alone, to determine just how much influence others and events will have on my mood.

I can choose to be angry or upset, or I can choose to be happy.

It usually isn’t all that difficult a decision.