Grumpy Bears and Debbie Downers

This fellow ranked among the stuffed animals I had as a child...

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GrumpyBear

It was probably the first indicator of the fact that I'd end up with a certain penchant for pointing out how everything could be a disaster.  Always.  It would have been one thing if I were surrounded by friends and family who were hopeless optimists that I helped to counterbalance, but you see --

I come from a long, proud line of Debbie Downers.

For those of you not familiar with the term, I give you Exhibit A: Debbie_Downer_NBC

I'm not entirely sure what it is about the water in Delaware County, but somehow I find myself constantly in the company of individuals with the unique gift of always finding the grey lining in every silver cloud.  Not only is the glass half empty, but the portion of liquid in the glass is probably toxic and will kill you slowly if you drink it.

Since we found out we were pregnant 5 months ago, we are subjected to the wisdom of people who feel the need to make running commentary about the way our lives will be once the baby is here:

You'll never sleep again!
Babies are so loud!
Hope you don't like free time!
Kids just suck the life out of you!
Have your fun before it's too late!
You can't control how they'll turn out!

Yes, that is Nick Cage from Vampire Kiss

Who finds this helpful?  What is the trigger in your brain that creates the need to make asinine commentary that only demotivates and drains the parents-to-be?  Do people really think that having a kid in your thirties, you never gave a modicum of consideration to the fact that it would be a life-changing event?

Clearly we're in for surprises.  There will be stress.  There will be anxiety and frustration.

I'm not an optimist by default.  I need no help having potential problems and difficulties highlighted for me, thank you kindly.  I can worry myself into a frenzy without any help.  And despite the fact that our child will come from this lineage of Worse-Case-Scenario-Connoisseurs, I'd like to set the baby up to look for what's positive and hopeful and uplifting in the world.

Or, at the very least, figure that the liquid in that glass is probably fine for human consumption.