The Flip Side of A Grumpy Girl

"If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good."

---Dr. Seuss

Typically, once I say something, I stick with it. It's a stubborn Irish thing. I might spew a load of Blarney from here to Galway, but it's my Blarney, so I will own it. Except for last week. Faithful readers (all three of you) will recall that last week, this column was a crankfest of petty gripes and complaints. While there is no denying they were genuine, there is another side to the coin. What about a list of everything that makes me happy? The happy behavior that happens out there, the fun parts of our lives that often get overlooked. Here's the flip side to last week.

     The ocean. OK, that's a little broad, given that 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by oceans, so, to be more specific my local beach. I grew up on a beach that's barely a few houses away. I spent countless hours with my feet in the sand of Preston Beach, getting tossed into the waves by friends, and watching the tide go in and out. It's been both my celebration and my solace, on more than one occasion. It's not just Preston though; it's more about being near water. The salt in the air, the seagulls, and the wind all conspire like a mad orchestra to raise a cacophony of halyards clanging against the masts to soothe the soul. There's some science to it as well, the ionization of air molecules near a beach is different and can change how your mind works. What's better than that?

       My dog. Or, really, almost anyone's dog. Dogs rule. They sit there, all furry and cute, and if you go away, even for a few minutes, they welcome you back like you're a returning hero that has conquered the world. They do what you tell them, most of the time anyway. They don't need college tuition, car insurance, or the latest smartphone. They don't talk back, and they don't roll their eyes at you. Well, perhaps they do, somehow, like that head tilt? When your dog does that, I think they might be saying, "What the heck mom? You for real?" Still, there is nothing better than a sweet canine friend sitting next to you.

      My friends and family. OK, sure, so basic, "friends and family" who doesn't love their friends and family? OK, well, I know a few people who haven't had a lot of luck in that area. There are some who have very few friends and don't talk to most of their family members, and it's unimaginable to me to not have a network of people to count on. If I had to go through the last five years all over again, but without my family and my friends (which, in my case, are the same, friends are the family we choose for ourselves) I would say to hell with it, and go all Thelma and Louise right off a cliff. Only, I'd be alone. See why having friends is better?

    Food. One look at me will prove that there aren't many missed meals in my world. Right now, I'm actively working on looking less like my grandmother (at age 86, in a mumu, with a cigarette and a glass of scotch) and more like an average middle-aged woman who's had a few cookies, but overall hasn't completely given up. Pizza, bacon cheeseburgers, and my favorite French fries are now rare treats instead of a daily dose of heart disease and artery sludge. When I do have them though? OMG, so good. Perhaps we need to walk away from a few things, so when we start up again, there is a greater appreciation? There can be too much of a good thing, and how I know, this is that I've gone on several cruises, with their buffets and their endless dessert tables. I may have gotten on as a passenger, but I was in danger of being offloaded as cargo. It was worth it though, and I'd do it again. We caution ourselves not to tie emotion to food, and that's valid, but sometimes tucking into a plate of fried clams or a juicy burger is an excellent way to turn a bad day around.

Hopefully, I have shaken off my Princess CrankyPants crown and come back to a place of gratitude, with just a small side of attitude. The snark gene is firmly entrenched in my DNA, but there are too many other things in my life to let it rule me. Life is good!