Butch Asks, ‘What Makes You Happy?’

   According to the dictionary, happiness is (1) “a state of contentment and well-being, (2) pleasurable satisfaction.”

   As a teacher, police officer and librarian for the past 56 years, I have interacted and conversed with thousands of people . . . a few bad, a few crazy, a few silly . . . but mostly nice, good-hearted individuals who seemed happy with their lives. However, in the past few years I have noticed that quite a few people seem to be unhappy, discontented and more irritable. Personal problems aside, I believe the causes could be related to several factors . . . job stress, technology, social media, the economy, and of course the continual argumentative state of politics in our country today. Everyone deserves to be happy. Why, even the Declaration of Independence guarantees “the pursuit of happiness.”

   What makes you happy? Here are a few quotes to consider:

  “The best way for a person to have happy thoughts is to count his blessings and not his cash.”

  “The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions – the little soon-forgotten charities of a kiss or smile, a kind look or heartfelt compliment.”

  “The really happy man is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.”

  “We always have enough to be happy if we are enjoying what we do have–and not worrying about what we don’t have.”

  “The secret of being happy is doing things for other people.”

  “Happiness is a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”

  “When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.”

  “The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness.”

  “Part of the happiness of life consists not in fighting battles, but in avoiding them.”

  “A man’s happiness or unhappiness depends as much on his temperament as on his destiny.”

   Then there are these humorous quotes . . .

  “Happiness is a warm puppy.”

   “Happiness is a good meal, a good cigar, and a good woman – or a bad woman; it depends on how much happiness you can handle.”

  “Happiness is your dentist telling you it won’t hurt and then having him catch his hand in the drill.”

  “The husband who wants a happy marriage should learn to keep his mouth shut and his checkbook open.”

  “Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family . . . in another city.”

  “Happiness is the sublime moment when you get out of your girdle at night.”

  “Money can’t buy happiness, but then happiness can’t buy government insured CD’s.”

  “Happiness is bumping into Raquel Welch . . . very slowly.”

   And here’s my favorite for all of you older folks . . . “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood!”                           

John “Butch” Dale is a retired teacher and County Sheriff. He has also been the librarian at Darlington the past 37 years, and is a well-known artist and author of local history.