Be amused by simple things

In high school and beyond, I had a friend who would chide us, "Don't be amused by simple things." If we rewound a funny scene, pressed a button on the new device too often, expressed too much fascination by a potato that looked like Roosevelt. Whatever. It was his way, I know now, of belittling us. To be amused by simple things, in his view, was to be simple.

This is my batter bowl. I just got it after having "won" it on eBay. It is Jadite, a type of kitchenware I've loved for many years, but I've never treated myself to a piece before. I'm thrilled with it. I couldn't wait to use it. As you can see, I'm actually making batter in it. We had waffles.

I think if you know me, if you hang out with me in real life or work with me, you'll see pretty quickly that I'm one of the happiest people you know. I am just generally satisfied, easygoing, and good-natured. Now, part of that is who I am by nature. I know people have a temperament, and I know there are neurotransmitters involved in this stuff. But part of it is a choice I make every day. I choose to be appreciative of what I have, and to not be too bothered by the other stuff. Obviously, I can rant with the best of them (ahem, see my last post), but even then I'm not usually unhappy, just venting.

I like my life. I like waffles. I like my stupid batter bowl. I'm 37 years old today, and I am appreciative of everything I have, particularly my family, my home, my friends, and my job. But I appreciate the way the ice had formed on a puddle outside, too. I appreciate way the clouds turned pink last night. I appreciate that my yogurt set overnight. I appreciate that I am healthy.

If you want to be happy, you could do worse than being amused by simple things.