Select Entry- Peter Robertson, Age 33

Welcome to our Optimistic Essay category. Here you will find the $1,000 winning contest essay, 5 finalist essays and 15 honorable mention essays and a growing list of hand-picked select essays that readers submitted during our "Why Are You Optimistic About the Future?" contest.

Six months ago I would have said that I was the biggest pessimist to ever roam this earth. I was one of those people who saw the glass half empty instead of

half full. I was not always that way, but after serving for a year in Afghanistan with the Army, it was hard not become a pessimist about life in general. For me, being a pessimist sheltered you from hurt or any expectations

so I chose this route as a safety net. Then on August 29th, Hurricane Katrina hit Biloxi head on, destroying virtually everything in its site. When the last

of the winds died down, all you could see for miles and miles was utter devastation. It really did look like a war zone. Being a pessimist my first thoughts were of the city never coming back again. Then I saw trucks coming

from all over the US filled with water, ice and food, standing in the hot sun for hours upon hours with no relief. Power companies from Maine to California

left their homes and families to restore power to those of us who were without for weeks. Phone companies did the same and because of their selflessness, we

had our phones back up in only 8 days. At Christmas thousands upon thousands of gifts were donated from everyday people who wanted to give children who had

nothing left, hope of a better tomorrow. I felt like the "Grinch of Christmas" whose heart had finally melted. 5 months later, I feel an optimism I have never felt before. I was reminded of something I had forgot, that the American people are kind of heart and generous when they see others in need. I am fully optimistic of the future of our country and people as I have seen just how caring they can be to those they have never met, yet still care deeply about.

Our future is in good hands and I will never be a pessimist again.