IF YOU'RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT...SMILE!

This is a picture of Mr. Happy. I used to love these books when my son was little. There was Mr. Grumpy and Mr. Messy and Mr. Silly, etc. Actually, I think I just used my son as an excuse to buy them! Just reading them and looking at the simple pictures made me smile.

Last night on 60 Minutes there was a segment on the happiest country in the world: Denmark. The weather there is cold, the people are heavy drinkers and smokers, there is not a lot of affluence - and yet, everyone is simply content. They interviewed quite a few of the people, and the one thing that sets them apart from the rest of the world is that they don't appear to worry or struggle with self-doubt like so many of us. Of course, they do have universal health care, they are paid to go to school, they work 37 hours a week - with 6 weeks vacation, they have 6 months paid parental leave for both the mother and the father (with each child) and they have free care for the elderly. There doesn't seem to be the continual "striving" for more or the angst, depression and anxiety that we have here in America. Actually, when interviewed, they admitted that they don't really have any high expectations. They just take things as they come. They don't come out of the womb programmed to expect excellence.

America was rated #23. We did score higher than Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Whoopee. As the 60 Minutes report said, the pursuit of happiness in America, is a booming business. The bookstores are filled with volumes that promise the reader he will find happiness and inner contentment if he will only follow "x" number of easy steps. If we don't find it in books - we can certainly find it in shopping! More stuff, newer and improved stuff, etc. - which is constantly in a state of change. Look at the phenomenon of the Iphone for example. People stood in line for days to get that thing - and they already have a newer version out that does more stuff than the old one. So - if shopping doesn't do it...then there are always pharmaceuticals. Pills that will numb the pain of anxiety - pills that will rev you up, or bring you down, or keep you calm. Of course, they come with some nasty side effects - but don't worry, they have pills for the side effects, too.

So does attaining the prize of happiness really boil down to that goofy song from years ago? You know the one: "Don't Worry, Be Happy". Maybe. Perhaps the answer is in being present in the moment. Right now. Not worrying about the past, or the future - but just being like a Dane - and live in the moment and accept it as it comes. I think it helps to have a positive attitude, though. And to be grateful for all we have - because we do have a lot.

Maybe happiness is simply focusing on the good stuff and not obsessing about the bad. Mr. Happy did that in the book. No matter what life brought his way - that little yellow man kept smiling....all the way through the book.

AMERICAN PATRIOTISM

Somethings that seem up for debate are simply ludicrious to me. I cannot understand, for example, the vigorous opposition to drafting stricter gun laws. Is there any possible good that could come from a private citizen owning a semi-automatic rifle? If we are willing to practically physically violate every human being in an airport with body searches, why do we draw the line at violating someone's privacy by not selling a gun to a mental patient?

Another baffling debate for me, is this reluctance to oppose the use of torture by supporting legislature that would prohibit waterboarding, mock executions, induced hypothermia, and other harsh interrogation techniques. With all the chest-pounding bravado of what it means to be an American patriot, this issue should be a no-brainer. There are those who argue that harsh interrogation techniques can save American lives. At what cost? Who are we??? Since when do we throw out the moral high ground and become a country with the reputation for being ignorant bullies who govern by criminal force? Oh...that's right...sadly the moral lines have been blurred during this current administration.

But, it isn't too late to redeem ourselves, is it? In December, the House of Representatives passed Section 327 of HR 2082, the Intelligence Authorization Act. Section 327 would ban the CIA, its contractors, and all other agencies of the intelligence community from engaging in interrogation techniques that are prohibited by the Army Field Manual on Interrogations. Now, it is up to the Senate. Maybe it is time that we take a stand...that we let our Senators know we want them to support this piece of legislation. Maybe it is time for America to return to being the "good guys"...the country that inspired other countries to be better, to do the right things, to take the moral high ground.

The image of an American patriot has become distorted in the eyes of the world. But, we can fix it. We can. I just have to believe that. It won't happen if we don't speak up. It won't happen if we leave these decisions to the politicians in Washington. It won't happen if we forget that these politicians work for us. We are not as helpless as we sometimes feel. It's just that we have forgotten how to use our voice.

Speak up. Contact your senators. Tell them what you want them to do about Section 327 and other "no brainer" issues. Someone has to be the voice of reason - and maybe it has to be all of us, using our collective voice to say, "Enough is enough."

CUTENESS WORKS!

I am a sucker for anything cute. That is just the bottom line. I become especially weak-kneed when I see photos of baby animals. That's why I was a goner yesterday at Costco. As always, I migrate to the books for sale. Costco has a dreadful way of displaying them - at least for me. The books are piled in stacks on a table. Since I am in the wheelchair - all I can see are the edges of books - so I can never tell what is in the middle of the table. Sam's Club is better - since they display their books on a rack - so you can see everything. But - I digress....

Marilyn pulled a book from the middle of the table yesterday to show me. It had the catchy title, "Baby Animals" - and she knew I would love it. At first, I tried to quickly leaf through the pages - and smile - and then put it back. But, it kept calling to me. I reasoned with myself that I certainly didn't need it...that I could spend $8.99 on something else more edifying...but then I realized that there was nothing more edifying than a smile - so in the cart it went!

Along with adorable pictures are some great quotes. Here are just a few:

"The trouble with a kitten is that when it grows up, it's always a cat." Ogdan Nash

"Whoever said you can't buy happiness, forgot about puppies!" Gene Hill

"It is impossible to keep a straight face in the presence of one or more kittens." Cynthia Varnado

"You can put wings on a pig, but you don't make it an eagle." BILL CLINTON (okay - that one was a surprise, even to me!)

"When you feel lousy, puppy therapy is indicated!" Sara Peretsky

So - I guess I spent $8.99 on a therapy session. Not a bad price - and I can turn the pages anytime and find a smile hidden in there somewhere!

Oh - I have to leave you with one more quote:

"The majority of husbands remind me of an orangutan trying to play the violin." - Honore De Balzac

Are you smiling?