Walking On Sunshine

I am making a concerted effort to be more positive. I don’t just want to look on the bright side of life; I want to live on the bright side of life, smiling and waving to all the miserable people on the other side.

I’d love to tell you that it’s easy to maintain a positive attitude in every situation, but I’d be lying through my capped ceramic teeth.

Side note: My front four upper teeth have all been crowned (I’m royalty). Even when I flash a sincere smile, it’s technically fake, but only my dentist knows for sure.

But I digress, like I do. Being positive is a different kind of exercise. You must keep at it every day to build any momentum or bank any kindness escrow.

The hardest place to exhibit positivity is in rush hour traffic, which I find myself marinating in, literally and figuratively, trying not to stew about it. I take deep cleansing breaths and refrain from using the sort of expletives you’d find in a Quentin Tarantino movie. When following behind a person going under the speed limit, I expend the same amount of deep, heavy breaths as someone biking up mountains. I’m getting better every day, or, at least, that’s what I tell myself.

Another challenging arena is the daily news. The news is important, especially the kind found in this very paper. It’s good to know about local news, road closures, soaring temperatures, and skyrocketing gas prices. The trick is knowing but not having a hissy fit about it. Remember those deep calming breaths. You’re going to need them.

I have been walking a tightrope between “staying informed” and “avoid learning how to tie a noose.” The Doom Scroll, the endless swiping of bad news on the app X, formerly known as Twitter, used to be a favorite pastime. I deleted my X and joined BlueSky. It’s the same bad news delivered with a sunnier disposition. The very name, BlueSky, puts me in a good mood. Who doesn’t love a blue sky?

I certainly do, but I might be solar powered because I come alive in the sunshine. In the past, I have been called a desert flower. I think it’s because I’m rare, beautiful, and I thrive in high temperatures. It can also be because I can be prickly at times.

Being in a bad mood never solves a problem. It just exacerbates it until said problem multiplies into many problems. If you’ve ever gotten so angry that you kicked the furniture and stubbed your toe, you get it.

I maintain some negativity because comedy comes from looking at petty grievances and blowing them up to be larger than life. Doubting Thomases, please note anything written by or starring Larry David. He’s the king of cantankerous comedy. He’s made millions of dollars from his scowl.

Having a positive attitude might not do anything, but it feels better than being a miserable old coot.

Come, join me on the bright side!