14 Comments
User's avatar
Fred Bruning's avatar

Same here. Get busy.

Expand full comment
Fred Bruning's avatar

Round up those Barbies while you can!

Expand full comment
Fred Bruning's avatar

Peter -- The lesson is: Don't leave Brooklyn. Happiness isn't worth the trip. Cheers.

Expand full comment
Fred Bruning's avatar

That will make the Finns unhappy. See you in Helsinki!

Expand full comment
Jim Bunnell's avatar

You got to grab happiness wherever you can find it and keep it going. A happy tune that pops into your head that makes you smile, a perfect day where you get to make someone else's day, one good shot during a round of golf (Yea baby :-), the Padres in first place! It you look you can find something that brings you joy. Me, I work on trying not to sweat the small.

Keep the ink flowing Fred. It makes us happy!

Expand full comment
Fred Bruning's avatar

Thanks, Jim -- Alll my happy tunes are 50s doo-wop. Secret of life -- mine at least. Cheers and Happy Moms Day to Eva.

Expand full comment
Gwen Young's avatar

This is something that has always puzzled me. I've heard a few described as "a happy person." Which leads me to ask, what is that? Is it someone who laughs all the time? Who skips instead of walks? Who hums happy tunes constantly?

Or can you be a happy person just standing still, content with finding some fine-looking zucchini on sale or feeling like you got your money's worth buying Burger Fi onion rings?

Are you happy if you're not depressed? Or if you can shake off bad feelings without major therapy or drugs, are you considered to be a happy soul?

All my life, I've had problems, solved some, haunted by others I couldn't fix. Or, I've made bad decisions, said the wrong things, acted impulsively with bad results. But eventually, I moved on from those bad places. I think I'm happy in a non-kinetic way. Is that legitimate? Do you have to be active and constantly moving or thinking of the next step to be in that dreamy category of happy-not-sad?

If I just stand still and feel like I don't have to do anything but maybe binge-watch TV, even if there are hundreds of things that need to be done, does that mean I'm satisfied with life and don't need to do more to fulfill my life's obligation - whatever more is expected of me?

I think I feel OK most of the time because my biggest responsibilities have been met. There's always more, but the ones that were most critical were worked out when I was, thankfully, younger. But should I strive for a new, higher level of whatever it is I feel?

Serious questions, Fred. You could have solved questions I've had for so long.

Expand full comment
Fred Bruning's avatar

Gwen --Tried skipping and humming happy tune at same time. No luck. Happy Mom's Day.

Expand full comment
Jennifer Schulz's avatar

Good one, Fred! Hello to Wink!!

Expand full comment
Fred Bruning's avatar

Thanks, Jennifer. Wink still sleeping. We were out dancing. (Yeah, right.)

Expand full comment
John Jeansonne's avatar

Most happy to read your essays.

Expand full comment
Susan Kaplan's avatar

Enjoyed it all, but especially the 2 doll limit! lol The Rod Stewart, "Waltzing Matilda" version is my favorite!

Expand full comment
Peter Ruffner's avatar

Molly Young is probably a Mets fan and needed to get home to watch them!

Expand full comment
Bob Keeler's avatar

Despite its lofty position on the happy countries list, I have no desire to visit Finland and wrestle unsuccessfully with a difficult language.

Expand full comment