Thursday, June 16, 2011

Does Your Gratitude Adjustment Include Leprechauns and Red Leotards?

Last week, Andy’s back went to spasms so I had to drive him to a massage appointment one evening. Bored and with nothing to do in the waiting room, I began leafing through a small book on the coffee table titled 14,000 Things to Be Happy About by Barbara Ann Kipfer.

The author kept a list for 20-something years and then threw it all together for a book. (What can’t be published these days?)

Some things that made Barbara Ann happy were:


  • Absurd – leprechauns, red leotards, Sun-In hair lightener , the TV show “Dallas”

  • Admirable – world peace, love, justice

  • Redundant – happy times

  • Obvious – wine with a friend, fresh flowers, D.H. Lawrence, wedding cake

  • Inspired – smell of Play-doh, X-acto knives, little boxes of breakfast cereal
Reviews on Amazon.com are mixed. Seems readers took issue with items they refused to believe made Barbara Ann (or anyone) happy. They really didn’t *get* it. The book is about using our own imagination; remembering all those things that make us happy that may or may not make sense to others.

The little book was a much needed gratitude adjustment for me. I’ve started my own list. It may not be publishable but it’s a great reminder that we’re all so very different – and that’s a little fantastic (to borrow a phrase from the Fantastic Mr. Fox).

Here’s something from my list: seeing a car go by with a dog sitting in the passenger seat like a person.

Won’t you share one thing that makes you happy?

4 comments:

  1. That moment when I'm playing my guitar, and the feedback starts to creep in... and as I start shaking the note I'm playing, the feedback gets just a little louder, and louder, and louder... And I take a step to the left and the feedback changes pitch simply because I moved...
    That feels about as good as seeing that the bowling ball I just threw is about to give me a strike...
    Which is almost as good as that first moment when I hear the coffee pot finish its gurgling and I know the coffee's ready...

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  2. I have a couple ....

    * Seeing a lone bird perched on top of a building or telephone pole and just chirping as loud as it can.

    * Being able to see the planes ascending and descending at Reagan airport from my Bethesda apartment. As someone with a former fear of flying, there's something calming about watching planes come and go all day without incident.

    * Watching respectable men in expensive business suits sprint for the metro with briefcases flailing, even though another train will come in three minutes.

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  3. Cleaning out a closet (or even a drawer), and taking what I don't need to the local thrift shop that benefits our women and children's shelter. So satisfying!

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  4. The sound and vibration of a cat purring makes me really happy! So does the smell of freshly brewed coffee. And the feeling I get playing the really low notes on my bass guitar. So many things make me happy, including spending time with friends like you, Mandy!

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