Happiness is just unhappiness turned inside out

What makes you happy?

In a world full of war, death, destruction, catastrophe and broken promises you have to take joy where you find it.

A drive to work free from tailgaters. A gas price sign closer to $2 than 3. A string of green lights. All things that can make the morning commute a bit easier to bear.

A voice mail light that’s not lit. An email account with no spam. A desk that you cleaned off the night before. It doesn’t take much to start the day off right.

A meeting that lasts less than half an hour and actually accomplishes something. A quiet lunch with a co-worker where the job is not the main topic of conversation. A project completed on time and done well. These make work more bearable.

A swift and safe ride home. A loving greeting at the door. Dinner with conversation about the day’s small victories and defeats.

If every day could have most of these things, how happy would you be?

The cynic in me wants to say that bad days are what make us appreciate the good days.

The cock-eyed optimist wants the cynic to jump off the Market street Bridge. A good day would be to see Mr. Cynic float downstream and bother Harrisburg or other points south.

Some times it doesn’t take much to be happy. My Father once told me that happiness is just unhappiness turned inside out.

I didn’t understand it at the time and there are days when I still don’t.

But on a good day I get it.