Posted on April 1, 2016
Thomas Jefferson was a genius for putting the pursuit of happiness right up there with life and liberty as an unalienable right. People will tell you there is more to life than pursuing happiness, but I’m not sure they’re entirely right about that. Besides, there seems to be so much unhappiness in the world it seems to me that looking for reasons to be happy is a worthwhile pursuit.
So I’m starting something new here. Every week (except maybe when I’m on deadline or working through major revisions) I hope to share a happiness list of items that made me grateful, happy, or otherwise brightened my world. Here’s the list for April 1.
1. Today is April Fools Day. Go out and prank someone, but be prepared to clean up and messes or pay for damages. And if you get pranked, be gracious. Looking for ideas? YouTube is a font of useful information:
2. Wedding Bloopers: I’m writing a series of books set in a wedding venue. So, naturally, I’m finding inspiration (and a lot of laughter) on YouTube under the heading #weddingfail. Here’s a sample:
3. What is Happiness? Researchers are actually studying this question, which strikes me as mildly amusing. This article from the World Economic Form was pretty interesting, though. Does happiness mean just a good mood, or does it mean something more meaningful like living a good and fulfilling life?
4. Eye candy? Every once in a while Pinterest sends me an email with pins they think I’d like. They recently sent me to this board, with an inspiring photo of National’s First Baseman, Ryan Zimmerman. Which reminds me — the 2016 baseball season opens on Monday, cause for celebration in my house.
5. Products that last for generations. I came across this article from The Telegraph about the new “buy it once” trend. The idea, here, is to spend your money on quality items that will last a lifetime and maybe even longer. I’m so totally down with this idea, especially when I haul out the rolling pin that my grandmother used to make strudel, or the roasting pan she used every week. To put this in perspective, Grandma was born in 1889, and got married more than a hundred years ago. Using a hundred-year-old roasting pan is kind of cool, when you think about it. Also I’m lusting after a Le Creuset dutch oven, and after reading this article I’m thinking I can justify the purchase on the grounds that a hundred years from now my great granddaughter might be using it.
