I'm beginning to feel moderately optimistic about Brexit, in the sense that we will either negotiate a reasonable trade 'deal' or (probably more likely) the wheels will fall off completely, the current government will dissolve and we end up reconsidering the whole thing...
I feel the same, actually. As counter-intuitive as it may appear, the fact A50 has now been sent means we can actually start dealing with reality. And if Brexit does turn out to be a good thing, or the EU implodes in the next few years, I will hold my hand up and admit I was wrong.
I can't see it happening, however, and as the news gets ever gloomier about the deal (or no deal) we will ACTUALLY end up with, the more likely it is that big compromises are made that effectively satisfy those of us on the remain side. That won't happen easily, of course. Hard brexiters hate normal, working people, including everyone on this board, and 99% of people who live and work in towns like Boston - they absolutely loathe you/me/us, and now, emboldened by their success at the polls and labour's pathetic weakness, it's likely they're going to overreach themselves in their desire to wreak ideological havoc on the very people they lied to in the campaign. They are determined to uncouple from Europe so they can get on with the job of taking your pensions, your holidays, your rights at work, holidays, maternity pay - you name it. And if you don't believe me, perhaps check out Liam Fox's thoughts on the deregulation of the labour market and tell me you're fine with it.
They will get found out, in time. Brexit will flush them out, and when their true intentions are clear, I do not doubt the public will turn on them. I feel like this is a fight we had to have at some point, but there's no doubt 'we' (including soft Brexiters, whose own objections about the EU were not based on a pathological hatred of the protections of normal working people enshrined in laws they could not change) will stop them stripping society of the progressive gains made in the post-war era. The tragedy of Brexit is it even allowed them a chance.