Maybe. Am I losing my optimism as I get older? Perhaps.

Life in Gaza has bled away my optimism.

A necklace with a butterfly (when I was optimistic, I used to consider it a symbol of strength and femininity). And my sister and I would agree on the gift I wanted her to buy for me.

The man, now sitting next to me, explains with a bit of understatement, Of course I must continue to have faith in the Chinese legal system, although I must admit that this incident has somewhat dampened my optimism.