Saturday, January 31, 2009

happiness, tom robbins and orange

happiness

life is a crazy train. you can have ozzy sing it or have someone else in your head sing it, but life is a crazy train. i have been up working on a research project and had to take a break and change gears on the said crazy train.

before the researchin' hit fullspeed this week, i had checked out a book at the library. something that i could read the way we were taught to read. i don't know about you, but i grew up loving every detail that a writer gave me. i wanted to know the color of her skirt, what was for dinner, what the room was filled with and if the pigtails didn't exactly match in height. you get to graduate school and it is the 'closeread' bizniz. wtf? *get the gist, get the gist, another book done, grab the next one, another one bites the dust, hey, hey.*

anyway, i started another roadside attraction by tom robbins and the library receipt tells me that my goal is to finish it by 2/17/09. i have to finish it because a girl needs something to read on the train and i am already in love with tom robbins. i worked on the project, organized the studio more (i will try to take more photos tomorrow, since it is too small to get as far back as i need to take the 'big picture' shot.) and loved on tom robbins while i made this just for him. oh, and for me and my orange walls.

“The most important thing in life is style.
That is, the style of one's existence-
the characteristic mode of one's actions-
is basically, ultimately what matters.
For if a man defines himself by doing,
then style is doubly definitive because
style describes the doing.

The point is this.

Happiness is a learned condition.
And since it is learned and
self-generating, it does not depend
upon external circumstances
for its perpetuation.

This throws a very ironic light on content.
And underscores the primacy of style.
It is content, or rather the consciousness
of content, that fills the void.
But the mere presence of content is not enough.
It is style that gives content the capacity to absorb us,
to move us; it is style that makes us care."

Amanda in
Another Roadside Attraction


i knew this. i have lived by this, but now i can quote someone else. i was once reprimanded and scorned for being happy so when i read this passage, i was filled with so much (more) happiness and validation. sorry, buster, but happiness is a nonsin.

in honor of happiness and my three-year journey in blogging, i am doing a prizey drawing. tell me what makes you happy and how you get your happy on.

baby, lay it on me real thick and talk happy to me.


(i will assign numbers to each entry and put them in an egg basket and draw a number in two weeks from today on valentine's day.)

11 comments:

Sis said...

Oh, girl, that was fun to read...

I'll go first, I guess - what makes me happy, hmmm -
Jesus, my kids, hubby, sunshine, roses, my critters, oh, lots and lots -

But for your contest - I'll say this. My photography makes me happy, but what makes me EXTRA happy is taking a photograph that expresses something I am feeling, going through, dealing with...sometimes making no sense to anyone but me; yet still, my heart soars when I get it just right. THAT makes me happy.

Love you...
XOXO

Gin said...

Good grief Dawnie...if I listed all the things that make me happy I'd be here all day and then some. But a small sample...

Having God in my life makes me peaceful which makes me happy.

I love the little details...they make me happy.

I have a hobby jones and if I'm working on one of them, I'm happy.

My family and loved ones make me happy.

The sun shining in my face or spending the day checking a rose that's opening or watching an eagle soar above makes me happy...nature does that to me a lot. A whole lot.

I'm just an inherently happy person but I'm not always sure why. It can be a little disconcerting to be giddy and not really know exactly why. I have the deepest understanding of how you felt being slapped down for being happy...been there, done that...got the shitty shirt.

I have a really hard time relating to depression. I've never felt it, regardless of what hell I'm going thru in my life.

I don't really DO anything to get my happy on...It's an intrinsic part of my daily wardrobe, like a bra. I guess happiness for me is just a part of my personality. I can't imagine NOT being happy! It's just an inseparable element in my makeup.

Sis said...

Oh yeah, I forgot one...it makes me happy not to wear a bra.

(teehee, Ginni!)

Ruth Hull Chatlien said...

What makes me happy?

Losing myself in the writing of my novel.

Forgetting time as I color in my mandala coloring book.

Sitting in the sun and gardening without worrying about a to do list, just doing what occurs to me to do next.

Singing in church.

Feeling the presence of God in the Eucharist.

Hugging my husband.

Snuggling with my dog.

Anonymous said...

*My house on Oak and the feeling of belonging.
*Living in a country with Barak Obama at the helm.
*Anything "Micah" (my son).
*My friends. The ones that "get" my weird humor.
*The smell of rain
*The absence of Fear
*The smell of my dogs' heads in the warm sunshine.
*Sunday mornings
*speaking in a fake accent with my BFF...we've been doing that since 1967
*The smell of coffee
*My music...hello I-pod.
*a new rubber stamp....still.
*finishing a new piece of art and liking it.
Reading my "go-to" Blogs (like this one).
*Books, Books, Books.
I could go on, you know....

Jill said...

jesus makes me happy...and thankful

coffee

i'm learning to sew and having a finished product and a happygirl wearing the new frock makes me giddy

the smile of my boy when i push him on the swing

no dishes in the sink

my brody

...and on, and on, and on...

Anonymous said...

Dearest D.,
Memories of my Daddy, his smile, his laugh, things he used to say that pop in my mind. These make me happy. Knowing God is with me makes me happy. A nice glass of red wine with Troy makes me happy. My German Short Hair Puppy in my lap (50 pound lap dog), with her head on my shoulder, makes me happy. Seeing a Buzzy greyhound look alike makes me happy. Reading Dawn's blog makes me happy. :) JFAP

Marilyn said...

Oh, so many things....

Walking at night during a snowfall.

The fragrance of honeysuckle after a rainstorm.

Baby powder, and all the memories it brings back.

The laughter of toddlers playing in a blow-up pool.

The ocean at sunrise..the ocean at sunset.

A cold drink when I'm thirsty, warm food when I'm hungry, a soft bed when I'm tired.

Soft puppy fur, and soft puppy kisses.

mary said...

Happiness is....
-flannel sheets when it's -6 outside.
-squirrels in the yard.
-dog nose prints on the patio window.
-4 wheel drive.
-my youngest daughter finding her passion in photography.
-my older daughter out on her own and finding her independence.
-an enormous pile of books and magazines beside the bed.
-earning a living without succumbing to a min. wage job.
-contentment after years of depression and frustration...finally contentment.
LIFE IS GOOD.
mary w

martha brown said...

i am happy when my daughter is happy. i am happy when my classroom is running smoothly. i am happy when I have just finished creating something... and most of all i am happy when I'm curled up in bed with a book, my pup at my feet and my partner reading beside me... and all is right with my world........ xox

A bird in the hand said...

Just being alive.
Memories of my lovely husband.
Sunlight.
A good book at bedtime.
The perfect espresso.
Dunking biscotti in said espresso.
The feeling that I am never alone, even when I'm alone.
A paintbrush in my hand.
Trees in flower.
Gardenias.
A doglet licking my face.