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A neat person is like a bunch of grapes. When it rains, he grows; when it shines, he matures. Tasted early, his spirit is sweet and refreshing; given time, it is like fine wine. What characterizes a neat person most is his ability to love and learn through good times and bad. What makes a person neat is optimism.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary says: “neat \`nēt\ adj. 7. slang: fine, admirable.” I would like to add “admiring.” A neat person finds successes, not faults. He is appreciative of nature and men, and works to exalt both. He can look at the storm and see beauty; he can listen to its clamor and hear music.

Like a frontiersman, a neat person blazes a new trail through the wilderness of life. When he errs, he sees the experience rather than the failure. Like a candle, he leads others along his trail. He is a beacon of hope in the darkness; he shines a pleasant light on everyone he meets; he gives of himself to show the way for others.

Benjamin Franklin is the “exception that proves the rule.” Certainly Franklin can be called “neat,” but he claimed to be a pessimist, saying that people who expect the best are constantly disappointed. Even so, can we call a man pessimistic who pledged his life, his fortune, and his sacred honor to the support of a nation which at the time did not exist? Surely such a pledge requires complete confidence in the cause, though Franklin belied his confidence, saying that he and his co-signers must all hang together, or assuredly they would all be hanged separately.

Optimism, then, is the redeeming quality in men. Without an optimistic outlook, one cannot see the beauty in nature and the hope for mankind. I require much of people I call “neat,” but the price is small, for neatness is its own reward.

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WHAT MAKES A PERSON NEAT?