Super happy thing number three: Big hair, big lungs, big time.

Okay. I had to start thinking early today, because I'm not feeling particularly happy. But there's one ridiculous thing that always puts me in a good mood. It's a bit embarrassing and not at all cool, but then, neither is blogging, and here I am. I'm not exactly fooling anybody with my coolness. So.

Super Happy thing Number Three: "Time for Me to Fly" by REO Speedwagon.

I don't know why it is, but singing along to this song makes me ludicrously happy. A friend put it on a mellow mix tape for me ages and ages ago, and ever since it's been one of those shout along and cheer up songs. I don't know if it's the over-the-topness, or the idea of running away, or the declaration that "I've had enough", or the 80sness of it...whatever. It's cheering me up right now just thinking about it. God help you if you ever end up in the car with me when it comes on the radio.

Hmmm. Have I written this exact same post before? I might have. I'm going to have to check this.

Happy Thing Number 2: Blake, baby.

Oh, yesterday it seemed like I could think of five things pretty easily...today, I'm filled with RAGE! It's interfering with my appreciation. Let's all put on our thinking caps...what do we feel happily about?

...Okay. Here's something that makes me unwarrantedly happy, or at least gleeful in a ragey and malicious way: The 1794 William Blake poem "A Poison Tree." There's something massively awestriking in the naked, glittering hatefulness in this poem. (Hmm. Maybe Gambino was onto something there?) For one thing, everybody's felt this way; but two, I love that among the beautiful, lyrical, trees-and-moors-and-virgins, little-"r"-romance world of big-"R" Romantic poets, there's this little ode to horrible, spiteful malevolence. You're floating along all "Little lamb, god bless thee" and "A thing of beauty is a joy forever"ingly, and then, bam! POISON TREE!


I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I watered it in fears
Night and morning with my tears,
And I sunned it with smiles
And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright,
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine -

And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning, glad, I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.


So let this be a lesson for you, kids. Tell your friends when you're angry. Or save it all up and get rid of your enemies. Win-win!

A week of happy little things

I've been blue, you've been blue, it's been a blue, blue winter. I'm tired of obsessing about it, so for this week, I'm going to note one thing each day that makes me really quite happy, actually.

Today: This American Life.

I am over the moon for this radio show. I am evangelical about this radio show. I know that it's frequently hokey and angsty and fairly priveleged whining, but it's also funny and thought-provoking and often enough points out that you're no more neurotic than everyone else. Mostly it's just really, really, really well done. It's edited well, read well, the music selections are just right, and even when there's a piece I don't like I feel like somebody went to a lot of effort to get it the way they wanted it. It's a little bright spot on my Saturday afternoon.

So. This American Life. Happy Super Liking Thing, number 1.