> "I hate to be negative" he begins... It's always a choice. One
> can choose not to be. Negative, that is.

love these conversational tangents,,,forgive my digression from kayak construction.... It's always a surprise to find that I may have a choice when I engage in a behaviour that is self-defeating, "that's not my intention"...

Kind of like not having to paddle harder in order to turn, just put the paddle here to there.