Seeing the glass as a half-percent full

I hope you get this, but I'm worried you won't. On first utterance, I know it sounds ludicrous.

There's a sliver of a silver lining in both the Vietnam War and the Cambodian genocide. Yes, the Vietnam War darkened American history. Yes, the Cambodian genocide was as horrific a period in world history as any other.

Still…

The ripple effect of events can be beyond bizarre. Who would have thought that because America got overly involved in Vietnam, I would meet Jackie Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American shooting guard on the girls' basketball team I coached 14 years ago. And because of Pol Pot's practices, among the most ruthless ever, I met Janet Koy, a Cambodian-American point guard on that same team.

Recently, I had the chance to reconnect with both. The player-coach bond we had then is now a friend-friend connection. A life-enhancing connection that wouldn't have happened if two of the worst things ever hadn't happened.

Am I nuts? Maybe. Probably. But as insane as it sounds, I stand by my premise.

There is always something in the glass.