It’s so easy to get caught up in this world, and all of its problems. This song, which I heard Sarah Guthrie sing last year, was written by her grandfather, Woody Guthrie. It reminded me of the troubles of the world. Some problems of life are inevitable. We are living here, for the time being, and have to find a way to get money and have a place to live, which usually involves a job of some sort. Jobs come with people who you must learn to get along with, and office politics, and doing things you really don’t want to do. Spouses, or significant others, often lead to kids, which lead to schools, teachers, and PTA meetings, and a world in itself. Spouses and kids often lead to houses in the suburbs, where rules exist about what color your house can be, and how many cars you are allowed to have in your driveway, what type of mailbox you are allowed to have, etcetera. And, you are expected to have kids, and have kids who behave, are well-rounded, play sports, learn to play an instrument, and get good grades. If you don’t, then you must be doing something wrong. When it comes time to vote, people expect you to pick a side, and vote for that side, and stand up for your side. You are expected to keep up with the world’s news, and what country is invading their neighbor, and who won those elections you voted in, and which politician has quit, or been fired, or done something they shouldn’t have done (hint, all of them). While you’re at it, keep up with the local news and what product was recalled last, and which school was just locked down, and what the nightly news headlines are. Which church will you go to? What religion will you practice? Whatever one you pick, you must abide by their teachings. What is the latest new thing in social media? Have you logged on and checked your messages today? You must check your Facebook messages, and your email every day! Which new movies are coming out? What celebrity couple just split up? On, and on, and on, and on it goes, it will never stop, that is what everyone knows. It’s a wonder we aren’t all mad as a hatter! No offense to anyone in the millinery industry.
If you don’t keep up with the world and all of its issues, you are labeled as someone who doesn’t care. Or if you don’t keep up with the tragedies of the day, but focus on the good, you are a Pollyanna, which somehow is a bad thing to be according to the general population.
Life makes it hard to believe how there could be anything else important outside of this world, let alone remember that is so. Unless we receive a reminder. I received one the other day. My grandfather stopped by to say, Hi. That wouldn’t be such a big deal, except that he died years ago. I was up late one evening, as usual, and noticed my clock chimed twelve times at eleven – thirty. I looked at the picture of my grandfather sitting on the table next to me and thought to myself, “Grandpa, can you fix your clock, it’s messed up again”. The mantel clock I have that my grandfather made, has the unusual ability to set itself right whenever I forget to have someone wind it for me. I kind of just assume that my grandfather fixes it for me, because clocks don’t just reset themselves. But, I hadn’t forgotten to have it wound this time.
Well, later that night, I was lying in bed and it occurred to me, that maybe there was nothing wrong with the clock, but it was just my grandfather saying, hello. Just as I had the thought, I noticed that the power light on the bottom of my TV started flashing off and on. It did this for several seconds (I have never seen it do that again). It was as if my grandfather was trying to say yes, that’s it, you got it right, I’m just saying hello. If I needed any more convincing, I also noticed that my mantel clock was back to chiming at the proper time the next day, without anyone touching it.
Somewhere out there, is a whole other world where it doesn’t matter if you make enough money, or what country you want to live in, or the color of your skin. You will never feel bad, or too tired to do anything. You won’t have a care in the world. You won’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, and will have fun every day, all day. Somewhere, where it’s all good. I’m in no hurry to get there. But, it’s nice to know it’s there, and a bit of that world is right here with us all the time, even if we can’t always see it. Try to remember that, and watch for the reminders, they are there for everyone. We just have to slow down enough to notice them.
Incurably Happy Life 