Naive, Innocent, Good...

Can we afford to be naive, innocent, good? A perpetual goody-two shoes?  Is it lame? Is it a lie? Is it silly or absurd? Isn't it inevitable that living in the world knocks some hard-earned sense into us? Jades us? Makes us cynical, wary, doubtful, cautious, suspicious, untrusting? Isn't that what life teaches us?

What happens to us when we find that people are disappointing, manipulative, domineering, bullying, willing to explore the darkness at all costs. Willing to exploit the young, the weak, the innocent. How far down will folks go? How dark can they get? Really, really dark.

It does make you want re-think everything. To do some kind of ritual cleansing. Human, oh so human, but maybe clinging to some bone-deep innocence is essential? Sort of a spiritual re-birth every morning. Wonder what good can be found today? Wonder how we can make today a better day than yesterday?

How do we cultivate a smart naivety? An experienced innocence? An un-jaded, un-cynical knowingness? Maybe it's a Yin/Yang thing... light in the darkness, darkness in the light...