IT'S OKAY, IT'S OKAY!

A few nights ago the television show, America's Got Talent, ran a retrospective of all of their "Golden Buzzer" moments...those acts that were the Judge's favorites over the years.  One of the acts was a 30 year old singer, Nightbirde, whose real name is Jane Marczewski. singing a song she had written.  The song, "It's Okay," was her homage to the fact that she had cancer.  In fact, she unfortunately passed away shortly after the finale that she was too sick to perform in. But all of that only leads up to her statement when questioned about her attitude and beautiful smile in light of her severe health issues:

    "You can't wait for life to not be hard anymore to be happy."

In a time when things are difficult, that is what we have to remember.  Whether it is your health, your finances or whatever troubles we perceive to have, we can't wait for life to not be hard anymore to be happy.

Yea, I know...Inflation is running rampant, we have a demented President and worthless administration that is doing everything possible to tank our Democracy.  We are in a needless war and the prospect of more wars grows everyday as the President tries to deflect his own problems by doing head fakes and other things to divert attention away from his own problems.  And he keeps putting totally unqualified people in positions of responsibility.

This is a guy who has never comforted a sick child, petted a dog, can't laugh at himself or can't be happy about anything.  He doesn't care what he destroys or cares for nothing other than himself.  He couldn't even bring himself to go to his namesake son's wedding...his golf game in New Jersey was more important.  He is a convicted felon and pedophile who has awarded himself and his insurrectionists $1.8 million and unless our worthless Congress or corrupt Supreme Court does something about it, (Yes, since numerous lawsuits have been filed over this despicable act, it will eventually get to the Supreme Court), there is nothing we can do.  He has no concept of the meaning of happiness. But we can't wait for life to not be hard anymore to be happy!

Happiness is an attitude.  It is a complex emotional state characterized by feelings of joy, contentment, satisfaction and fulfillment.  It is not merely the absence of sadness but a multifaceted experience that balances present enjoyment with a broader sense of one's own meaning and purpose.  

Therapist.com says that there are 7 types of Happiness:  

1. Hedonia (Sensory & Pleasure-Based)

This is the most primal form of happiness, driven by seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. It involves the temporary thrill you get from eating a great meal, listening to your favorite song, or relaxing on a beach. It is short-lived but vital for immediate well-being. 

2. Eudaimonia (Purpose & Meaning)

Rooted in Aristotle’s philosophy, this is the deep, lasting fulfillment that comes from living in alignment with your values, realizing your potential, and contributing to something bigger than yourself. It is the satisfaction you feel after volunteering or achieving a long-term goal. 

3. Engagement (Flow)

Often referred to as being in "the zone", this is the happiness that occurs when you are entirely absorbed in an activity that stretches your skills. Whether you are painting, coding, or playing a sport, you lose track of time and feel completely immersed in the present. 

4. Social & Relational

Human beings are wired for connection. This type of joy stems from building deep relationships, feeling loved by family, laughing with friends, and sharing meaningful experiences with your community. 

5. Challenge & Achievement

This is the sense of pride and competence that arises from overcoming obstacles. It involves pushing past your limits, persevering through adversity, and celebrating the victories you’ve earned through hard work. 

6. Awe & Wonder

Awe is a powerful, transcendent emotion felt when you encounter something vast and beautiful that changes your perspective on the world. It is triggered by experiences like standing in a redwood forest, looking at the stars, or listening to breathtaking music. 

7. Amusement & Humor

Rooted in playfulness and levity, this is the lighthearted happiness that comes from a good laugh. It acts as an emotional release, reminding you not to take life too seriously and reducing stress in the process. 

Besides my health problems which I have chronicled here, my Brother, Sister-In-Law and several close friends have recently had health challenges.  As we wind ourselves through the challenges of life all of us need to keep remembering to take those challenges one day at a time and not wait for life to not be hard anymore to be happy.

To listen to Nightbird's Audition, here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoNCairOJ_M

And if you can watch this and not be filled with "Awe and Wonder" then you really don't understand the triumph of the human spirit.

And The Journey Continues......

We Are Better Than This!

 It has been awhile since I wrote a purely political blog bashing the demented, ignorant, racist, anti-semitic, piece of garbage occupying the Office of The Presidency and his group of unqualified, self-serving lackeys in important positions.  Patel, Hegsbreath, RFK Jr, Howard Lutnick, Stephen Miller, Little Marco and the rest of the Cabinet are about as useless as a paper bag in the rain.  They all are an  embarrassment to any intelligent American.  The whole world is laughing at the ineptness of their leadership.  And that’s not even to mention the uselessness of the Republican controlled Congress or the corrupt Supreme Court.

But, everything that needs to be said about all of that has been said and written ad nauseum.  So, I am going to forego any further rant here and concentrate on better subjects.  I will leave this subject with a quote I saw a few nights ago... Chuck Lorre, the writer of several sitcoms puts “vanity cards” at the conclusion of each episode he writes and produces.  I always pause the tv to see what he has to say.  Usually they are several paragraphs long but last night’s card simply read:

  “The way things are going, I am just thankful I was when I was.”

I have been asked why I write these blogs.  As I have stated before, it is my therapy and I really enjoy putting my thoughts, ideas and remembrances on paper…or more recently, on the screen.  I have always been a voracious reader and have never been shy about saying what I want to say.

My earliest memory of writing an opinion piece was in high school  Although I certainly wrote plenty of required essays or answers to essay questions in school…that was a chore.  As a senior in high school, I wrote a lengthy screed about the lack of school pride and support of our sometime beleaguered football team.  I submitted it to the school paper and it was immediately rejected by the teacher advisor as “too inflammatory,” and never got printed.  Another case where the administration wanted to bury its head in the sand nor listen to opposing views.  Interestingly, I have gotten the same response from some people when I formerly posted my blogs on social media...and that's why I no longer post!  My Blogs only go to those that have requested them or that get forwarded to their friends.

Later in business, I became quite adept in writing strategy and business plans.  But that didn’t satisfy the jones I had to really express myself.  Then in 1996, I got my first byline in the local newspaper...The now defunct Boca Raton News.  It was a daily paper that concentrated mainly on local news, and they annually wrote a full page on each of the high school football teams before the season began. The kids looked forward to reading about themselves.  But, in this year, they ran an article about 2 of the teams, but left out  The Spanish River Sharks ( of which my son, Brad, was the co-captain of the team.) Being the loyal President of the Booster Club, I called the editor to find out why.  He told me they wanted to run a story and assigned it to a stringer who took the assignment but left town without submitting the story…and he was short staffed.  I told him I would write it and submitted it and the full page ran the next day, with to my surprise, my byline!  I was hooked and covered the team for the rest of the season, and the editor would call me from time to time to cover other events.. Although he offered me the princely sum of $50 per article, I just had him write a check to the booster club.  It was a labor of love, and how exciting to work on deadline and have only an hour after a game to phone in or fax the article for publication the next day!  I was hooked on writing for fun!

Since I quote him quite often, many of you know of my enjoyment of listening to Tony Kornheiser on PTI (ESPN) and his three times a week podcast. Although he has been on television for over 20 years, his background was as a newspaper columnist..first as a lifestyle writer and then a much heralded sports reporter.  I have read some of his collections of columns, and they are quite good.  He, like me, wrote in a conversational style (especially his lifestyle columns).  His 3 day a week podcast with his son Michael, while being sports related, is more “old guy” rants and comments about life in general, and the challenges of a changing world (especially his ineptness with technology)  Tony often says that his target demographic is 75 to Dead and this week I finally became a core constituent of his target demo, as I turned 75!

To avoid conflict, he doesn’t discuss politics, but the few times things have slipped out, it is evident he is as disgusted by the current administration as a lot of us are.  His often repeated favorite quote is “If you want the answer to everything; sports, politics, business…just follow the money.”  He also said the if he ever ran for office his slogan would simply be “We are better than this.”  How true!

With the changing landscape, newspapers are dinosaurs.  Even the digital versions are at least a day behind the news. They have laid off real writers or completely done away with any decent coverages.  The television reporting and various websites are so slanted….both right and left, that most of them are not worth reading.  Newspapers like the New York Times and The Washington Post have fired all of their sports reporters and only publish scores and wire service reports.  What a shame, as outlets for good, in depth writing is shrinking.  However, I have found good writing and reporting in The Atlantic and The New Yorker.  But even then, when they write thoughtful, well researched articles, they get sued!

I will continue to search for writings that are worth reading and will continue to write when the mood strikes.  Meanwhile, if there are writers or venues that you find worthwhile, let me know!

And The Journey continues!