Oh Happy Day.....

Oh why not.....  (Just thinking about hearing the Edwin Hawkins Singers makes me happy.)

What makes you tick? Floats your boat, so to speak...  Do you need an impetus to be happy or do you awaken thataway?

Stealing from an article I found from the Chicago Tribune long ago (as in 1998).. they spoke to a stockbroker lady... there  you go again misogynist Victor, why Stockbroker LADY?  Relax dude(ettes?), it was simply a stockbroker who happened to be a lady.  Anyways...

Her clients were happy when things were good.  Some, however, wanted "every last morsel" and they, in turn, were the least happy.  After an occasion in speaking to one of this ilk, she turned to her 3 year old son who had just pulled out one of his toy trucks, and had imagined an entire (happy) construction site, as in yum, happy to her, and the little boy was. (See?  I coulda said 'little kid', but I said 'little boy!')

Or, as Tommy Jefferson said in 1776 "It is neither wealth no splendor, but tranquility and occupation, which give happiness." John, Paul, George and Ringo said something similar in "Can't buy me love." (Blogger note, why are they listed in that order, JPGR? One answer was 'the order they joined the band.. annuder.. by rank.. and yet another, it was based on who could belch the best, Ringo only ate beans, so he was more of a farter.) (AREN'T you glad you're here to learn that?  I didn't think so either, but, I hope you are HAPPY!)

So what, Chicago writer asked shrinks, are qualities of happy people?

Uno.  They liked themselves.

Dos.  Happy people typically feel in control of their lives (witness the unhappiness of newly incarcerated prisoners, nursing home patients, recently hospitalized alcoholics, yada).

Tres. Happy people are optimistic.

Quatro.  Happy people tend to be a bit extroverted.

So, as Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs so eloquently put it "Uno, dos, one, two, tres, quatro - Let's not be L 7!"

Some say......."It's all about genetics."  Like, permanent hard wiring for happiness.  Psych guy wrote a smarty pants article stating as much "Trying to be happier is like trying to be taller." (Band camp.. I remember a guy, Liberty School District.. not too tall, a GOAL in life, to be a good basketball player..  he iiterally HUNG from the above door facing by his fingers in effort to be taller.)

They studied identical twins who were raised apart and it bode to be true regarding their genetics, tied to happiness. Another shrink said "Fitty percent genetics, the other half modifiable within limits." Which reminds me, from my online dating days, twas a shrink, NICE, very pretty lady.. but I'd heard "Psychologists are the LEAST happy people as they deal with doom and gloom daily" so I decided "Nah, not for me."  That turned out to be fancy for, I don't think she liked me!

Enough about shrinks. I gots some ideas of my own. (This is where the crowd goes "ugh" but the blogger continues.)..  I think happiness is tied to the six senses.  The hell? Victor, there are only five.  Oh contrare, there's Touch, Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste and Common.  That's 6.  OK Victor, but there are happy people who are missing one or more of those senses. AGREE wholeheartedly and onea the things I do if I'm ever down is getme an hour fix of Ray Charles on youtube!

So, is it a race to happiness? We each have our own answers, but I can tellya, one of the happiest times I've ever had was at the Lazy River at Oceans of Fun..  you get on a raft, it takes no effort, and you float, go round and round and round.  Are you saying you're lazy Victor?  Mebbe, ok, probably, but the point was 'relaxation = happiness.'

Why just the other day I was out relaxing with my buddies, playing golf.. I hit my third straight tee shot in the woods, and under my breath said "I should go back to bowling."  Story true, but, just kidding, kinda sorta, golf, the outdoors, friends, no have to's, elate me tremendously.

Where are you going with this Victor?  Nowhere really, which, is kinda like taking a drive without the damn GPS, just driving around to see God's sights.. no destination (other than happiness) in mind.

I'll get outta here, that might make some happy, in fact, in the words of the great Oscar Wilde "Some cause happiness wherever they go, others whenever they go.".  A few songs that speak to happy:

Don't Worry Be Happy

Happy (by Pharrell)

Happy Together

Shiny Happy People

Life's A Happy Song by Mickey Rooney... he's short, can he be happy?

Happy Trails to you....

By Henry Gibson..  Forward by Happy Rockefeller, widow of the former VP Nelson Rockefeller.

(Which reminds me, "You're the lady, you're the lady that I love, Rockefeller, Rockefeller".  Love is happy ain't it?)

Love, Victurd