It’s OK to be happy.

    After considerable time off, I have returned to the blog. On occasion I will tap and dispense from the gray matter to hopefully entertain you a little and, at the same time, cause you to think. In doing this, it causes me to go deeper into my own thoughts. Sometimes the thoughts will be lighter than others. Sometimes I may express deep feelings about situations and events. And at times, be controversial. But always true to my beliefs.
    So, how are you today? Are your thoughts still on tragic events of 9/11? Are we going to attack? What about the economy? How is the family? Is that special problem still bothering you? It seems that we all are surrounded by negative news and I am not excluded from this either. But watching our grandchildren helps keep things in perspective. In the past few months our grandchildren have discovered our collection of books of comics. These are the “funnies” or “comics” like in the newspapers. I have collections from the Far Side to the dark side of Charles Addams. But the comics that caught the attention of the kids (and age suitable) was Calvin and Hobbs. I watched them as they began to read them and slowly recognize and fall into the imaginary world of Calvin. Soon the giggles and laughs started happening. Like me, I think they saw a little of themselves in Calvin and had their own Hobbs to talk to.
    Quickly they devoured the two books I had found on a weekend visit to our house. I said I would look and see if I had more. I thought I had at least one more book and eventually I found it. On their next visit and in the time they had here, they consumed it, too.
    Occasionally I pull out a collection of these comics to read to go back through time again. I return to the age of Calvin to enjoy the fantasy. I have said that the author must have followed me around as a kid because so much of it was like my life growing up. Of course the author has used his imagination in such a way to make them more outrageously funny and enjoyable. Which brings to mind, have you ever read a funny in the paper and thought that it was so relevant and recent to you that someone is watching you for their ideas? Maybe all comic authors get their ideas for NSA, or not.
    The examples of our grandchildren show me and maybe you, it OK to enjoy life and be happy. But in light of all the negative things going on, we have a obligation to ourselves to feel good. To be more childlike. To have fun. But I know there are some who will argue how can you have fun with so much suffering going on? My answer is that we work to relieve the suffering of others. We work to make smile, laugh and have fun. Some would say we should feel their pain. I say we should recognize the pain, but to feel it does nothing to help them. And it is not being heartless, it is just good for the mind, body and soul. Care, but share good things. If you cannot show others how to laugh and feel good, how can you be an example to others to enjoy life? Self imposed suffering does not raise others from their problems. Laughter and joy with good works does.
    A lot of this may seem self evident, but I am leading up to my next blog. “Those Who Enjoy Feeling Bad.