Seeing Everything in the Best Light. It Is Never So Bad That It Isn’t Good for Something. - Hidden Treasures - October 1930

Seeing Everything in the Best Light.
It Is Never So Bad That It Isn’t Good for Something.

1. We have such wet weather in winter. Now we can save on fuel.

2. That fine vase fell down from the buffet and broke in pieces. So then we avoid having to dust it anymore.

3. Your coat was stolen. Poor man, he must have had use for it.

4. Oh, how cold it was during the winter. Then we avoid getting all that slush and the flu season.

5. Imagine, the man I had hoped would become my spouse has married someone else. Yes, but you must understand that he was not good enough for you.

6. Fruit is so expensive this year. Imagine how nice it is for those who have some to sell.

7. The house is burned down completely. How good that is for the unemployed who receive work by building a new house.

8. There is no money to be made from selling strawberries this year. How blessed that is for all those who have little money with which to buy them.

9. Just imagine—the meat we were supposed to have for dinner today has gone so bad that it cannot be used; and to top it off, it is Sunday so we cannot buy anything. Excellent! Then we eat a few slices of bread. That is done so quickly; we save time by doing that!

10. It is rainy weather today so we have to cancel the trip. Wonderful! Now I am able to sole my boots, and it is high time I did that!

11. Imagine! She did not even greet me! She was most likely lost in her thoughts.

12. He was so abrupt; he almost didn’t say a word. Maybe he was in an especially mournful state, poor man.

13. That person did not even want to look at me; he turned his back to me. It is quite likely that he was ashamed about something. Poor fellow!

14. He speaks far too long. Yes, listening to him is a good exercise in patience.

15. Imagine! There is an invasion of aphids on the plum trees. Well, it is apparently much easier for them to find their food there than on pear trees, because their leaves are so hard.

16. We should have sailed out on the fjord today, but there is a headwind. That is excellent for all those who are coming in to the fjord; they can come in all the more speedily.

17. I have lost my job today; they are downsizing. Well, then you will have plenty of time to work out the salvation of your soul. God be praised for that! It was most likely very necessary.

18. Imagine! No preacher is coming today, and none of the elders are present either. All the more opportunity to exercise ourselves.

19. There wasn’t a single outsider at the meeting today. Well, then we can have an in-depth Bible study. Otherwise we would in all likelihood not have had one.

20. There is no one to tune the instruments today. Well, then we sing unaccompanied instead. That is excellent!

21. Imagine that he has lied about me! Poor man! He must be unhappy.

22. I have been assessed a high tax rate this year. That was good, so the municipality has more money with which to keep the streets clean.

23. The peas we received from the grocer’s today were quite unusable. Perhaps he has a large inventory of them, poor man.

24. Now there is a hole in the stovepipe. That is good for the tinsmith; apparently he hasn’t had much to do lately.

25. Imagine! We have been given notice and have to move in the spring. Very well, then we have a bit of a change. That is supposed to be so good.

26. This did not last long. Good for the merchant; then he gets to sell it more often.

27. What a lot of snow; you can hardly walk in it. But then it is excellent for those who are using skis.

28. The tray slipped down and all the glasses broke into pieces. Think how joyful that is for the owner of the store that sells glasses. I have heard that his business is not going well right now.

29. Oh no, now the electricity went off, and I have so much to sew. So now you can rest your eyes a little bit.

30. There is a hole in the overshoes. You can just as well go without them. It is good; it is a relief to walk without them.

31. Imagine! It is already sold out. Well, then that is money saved.

32. Money goes out as soon as it comes in. Well, then we don’t have to wonder what we shall do with it.

33. The newly planted apple tree has dried up. Perhaps it would not have been a profitable tree, in which case it was a gain to be rid of it as quickly as possible.

34. The clothesline broke and all the aprons fell to the ground. It was good that it happened now before we hung up the bedspreads.

35. Oh, it is so windy today. It is wonderful for all those who are drying their washing.

36. This is a really slow train; it takes twice as long as the other trains. Well, then I also have twice as much time to think.

37. They are selling out the best items first, so you do not get the best if you do not hurry up. That may be so, but if you want to get the best of the goods, then someone else has to get the goods of lesser value, which would be sad as far as that poor person is concerned.

38. Just think! The one beam snapped in two while we were setting it up. It was good that it broke now; it would have been worse afterward.

39. No mail today either. That is nice for the letter carrier. Imagine how much he would have to exert himself if everyone received the mail they wanted today.

40. You will never get that loan repaid. Well, then I will have a credit at the resurrection of the dead. It is good to have a credit there.

41. Well, he has really fooled you! Did he, poor man? It must be unpleasant for him.

42. Imagine saying something like that right in my face. Yes, that was genuine proof of your honor; she certainly knew that you could bear all kinds of things, and there aren’t that many people who can do that.

43. Imagine that both Hansen and Olsen have stopped buying from me. Perhaps both of them will become unemployed soon, so you would have lost money from them if they had continued to be your customers.

44. He said that I might as well die on the spot. He probably meant that you were such a pious person.

45. Imagine that the entire load of firewood has fallen down again. Wonderful; so now the children have something to do, and they will leave us in peace while they are busy with that.

46. There is something wrong with the streetcars; they are not running. Well, then we walk; it is healthy for the body.

47. We are receiving so few guests. The more food there will be.

48. Imagine! Even more guests are coming. The more festive it will be.

49. Now I have made a mistake again. The more thoroughly you will be finished with it.

50. Imagine! There is a family with twelve children that has moved in on the second floor above us. So all the others can be glad to miss all that noise.

51. Imagine! They have sat there and talked about me! It is good to hear that someone is interested in you.

52. Now they have surely backbitten you. That isn’t at all certain, because speaking about a person who is not present is far from being the same as backbiting. So I do not think that they have done that.

53. He must surely have something against me since he always says something like that to me. Far from it! It may just as well be because he wishes you well.

54. Are we going to have porridge again? Yes, it is so cheap, you know, and it is so healthy, and so easy to make and so few dishes to clean. Besides, there is less of a danger of eating too much.

Elias Aslaksen