PollyLori? Not really.

I am not a Pollyanna. I am not blind to blemishes and imperfections. Ask anyone who lives with me -- I am actually quite critical. (I am sure this will enable me to review my daughter's therapist someday.)

So why, then, each week as I think of objects of my attention, do I tend to come up with shiny happy words of affection?

I take my job as a reviewer here seriously. I want you to know that if I say good things, I mean good things. It seems, though, that to be credible, I must be balanced and also say bad things. How can you trust me if I only tell one side?

Those were my initial thoughts. But as I ruminated, I realized that there are reasons why my thumbs point up more often than down. And I want you to know what they are.

First, I detest the feeling I get when I've made a bad purchase. Buyers remorse makes me feel foolish, ripped-off, and angry. I grew up labeling myself a Smart Girl, so when I feel dumb, it shakes me at my core, it challenges my identity.

Therefore, I take whatever measures I can to avoid buyers remorse. That means I invest time and energy BEFORE I make a purchase so that I don't feel stupid AFTER the purchase. The bigger the ticket, the more time I spend with Google and Consumer Reports, sending out feelers and checking out Blue Books and such from the library. If I get a lemon, it is usually because of a fluke and not because I didn't do my due diligence.

See? Smart Girl.

Secondly, I was raised with the notion that many of us were: "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." I was raised to sing the praises of worthy people and ideas. And to otherwise keep silent.

Speaking badly about a thing or person requires considered thought and assumed responsibility. After all, whenever the name, reputation, identity and feelings of others are involved, one must be fully aware of the implications and tread carefully.

So please understand that when I deliver a lukewarm or even chilly review, I do so after looking for remedies and giving reasonable benefits of doubt.

And when it seems to you that my thumbs are perennially perky, please know that I am simply being selective in what I talk about here. And that I really do stand by my perk.

Stick with me here. I'll be talking to you later this week about a type of place you probably frequent a couple of times a week.

And thank you for your trust.

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