Why not? In reasonable doses, it’s not so bad.
There are lots of reasons to douse good feelings. So many crises, existential threats, tragic events, fiercely annoying drivers, and so on, that there seems no end to the day’s drags. But really, hey, c’mon, get happy. It can’t hurt.
How to Be Happy
Some people are only happy when they’re unhappy. Let’s leave them out of this. Can’t fix everything. But if you are happy when you’re happy, clap your hands. Chances are however that you are not happy. Just 14% of U.S Americans said they were “Very Happy” in a 2020 poll. That’s the least happy we’ve been in 50 years. WTF. Thank goodness for the New York Times and their “Well” section. In this feature, you’ll find research-proven pointers that you can put right to work in the service of brightening your outlook. You’ll come away with a toolkit full of screwdrivers of joy and hammers of happiness. Read, internalize, and ball-peen away those moody blues.
She’s Got You
In a forgettable dollop of 80s pablum, John Cougar Mellencamp sang about how love “Hurts So Good.”* While the song is a disappointment to discerning listeners, the sentiment is universal; it’s impossible not to poke the wound of broken love. There is a perverse pleasure in the pain. Patsy Cline knew this and her version of this song satisfies the soul with truly virtuoso melancholy. In her cover, Rhiannon Giddens makes the song a sumptuous celebration of loss, an ode to the strength of the jilted woman. It’s a sad song that is joyfully gorgeous in her rendition.
*Oh, for crying out loud, it’s nothing against John Mellencamp. “Hurts So Good” is just a dumb song. Listen to Small Town instead.
Pickleball
Legend has it that the name comes from the family dog, whose contribution to the sport, even if just its name, was crucial to the family’s invention of the game on Bainbridge Island in 1965. Some say the game is for children and the elderly. Fiddlesticks. Once you get a paddle in your hand and start whacking that little perforated orb the bloodlust rises and the silly name goes from “Pickleball” to “Pickleball!” Take a class or watch a youtube video. Then go play and you’ll see. It may not be jai alai, but the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat is guaranteed.
Mythic Quest
It’s like “Silicon Valley” without the cynical edge. Oh, you like cynical edges? Of course. But why not try a little uncynical, unpretentious, indulgent fun? Mythic Quest never goes M*A*S*H on you (If you’re going to make a comedy, make a comedy. If you’re going to make a brooding commentary on war (and nobody is stopping you, believe me) do that. But don’t bait and switch.). There is no poignancy here. Nothing too serious happens. Silliness gleefully rules, and though it is not a “feel-good” show, it feels good to guffaw, and that’s pretty close to happiness.