The Happiness “Fickle” Dilemma

Dear Reader:

Isn’t it frustrating that happiness is so elusive…sometimes it arrives in bulk and spills over into our whole day, then other times it appears for only minutes and then dissipates when we let negative news chase it away.

We, then have a tendency to go backwards to a happier time and compare it to now. We don’t always “get it.” Happiness isn’t a point in time that we leave behind; it’s what lies ahead of us…every single day.”

Case-in-point: My back yard neighbor, Donna Clark, called and was heading to the store and wanted to know if she could pick anything up for me…I was hard at it in the garden when the phone rang…and immediately I said “eggs.”

I told her…”I know you won’t be able to find any…I have tried numerous times so I am not really expecting any…but if by sheer luck…Peter Cottontail left some eggs on the bunny trail or aisle in some store…I have craved a scrambled egg toast sandwich since the quarantine started.”

An hour later…as I was bringing debris from the back yard to the front to throw away…Donna was heading up my porch steps…she had eggs!!!!!!! Not only did she have eggs and an amazing surcie…but a great story.

She told me that a crowd of people started moving towards one section of the store where she happened to be and she was able to grab some toilet paper…and brought me one bag of TP back. We were both giddy…jumping up and down. (These two grocery treasures are just as “good as gold” to us!) My Lucky Charm…. The very lucky Irish lineage shopper of the day… Donna Clark!

Yes…unknown to us…“Happiness lies ahead …the potential in every single day.”

My happiness will continue day after day because I planted flowers for the deck, yesterday, that will bloom every single day.

As long as there is a beautiful rose blooming…life is good and happiness is beauty in all forms.

***I came across the cutest story on-line yesterday…and must share it with you…titled “Man’s Best Friend.” 

In these difficult days, when all the medics and other health officials are begging people to play their part in stopping the novel coronavirus from spreading so rapidly and practice social distancing and even stay home if you can despite not having traveled anywhere in the recent weeks, people are trying to be creative in finding ways to continue with their daily lives as normally as possible.

That being said, it seems that people are pretty capable of finding ways to stick to their familiar routines and meet their families and neighbors as safely as possible…to fulfill the need for connection but it’s a little bit more difficult when it comes to a craving as simple as the pleasure of a single bag of “Cheetos” since going to a store would expose you to people outside your social circle and therefore would put you at a higher risk of infection. However, this Mexican man found an ingenious solution on how to avoid that.(Author: Judita Kusaityte)

*In a quick summary….Antonio Munoz was in day three of the quarantine in his small town in Mexico and he was craving some cheetos…the regular orange kind…not the new red hot ones. But he didn’t want to leave his home and then put a family member at risk who might be stopping by to check on him.

The grocery store was in the same block…almost across from his home… so he called his chihuahua over to him…wrote a note explaining to the storekeeper he was a neighbor and was putting a twenty dollar bill attached on the collar…please be fair and return the right amount of change…one bag of the orange cheetos please…no red hot ones.

“Hello Mr. Shopkeeper. Please sell my dog some Cheetos, the orange kind, not the red ones, they’re too hot. She has $20 attached to her collar. WARNING: She will bite if not treated right (and returned with the right amount of money.) Your front neighbor.”

 

The article ended with an addendum stating that the precious chihuahua has returned twice more (successfully) since this original article came out a couple of days ago.

So until tomorrow…”If we aren’t creative…we can’t create possibilities to the problems of today.”

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

With more of us at home and reading more in the process…this “funny” caught my giggle box.

About Becky Dingle

I was born a Tarheel but ended up a Sandlapper. My grandparents were cotton farmers in Laurens, South Carolina and it was in my grandmother’s house that my love of storytelling began beside an old Franklin stove. When I graduated from Laurens High School, I attended Erskine College (Due West of what?) and would later get my Masters Degree in Education/Social Studies from Charleston Southern. I am presently an adjunct professor/clinical supervisor at CSU and have also taught at the College of Charleston. For 28 years I taught Social Studies through storytelling. My philosophy matched Rudyard Kipling’s quote: “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” Today I still spread this message through workshops and presentations throughout the state. The secret of success in teaching social studies is always in the story. I want to keep learning and being surprised by life…it is the greatest teacher. Like Kermit said, “When you’re green you grow, when you’re ripe you rot.”
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3 Responses to The Happiness “Fickle” Dilemma

  1. Donna Clark says:

    Times have certainly changed…celebrating over finding TP in the grocery store, amazing! Until then, call if you need something. We will take it one day at a time😘

  2. Rachel Edwards says:

    So glad I got to visit through the door yesterday. Hooe you enjoyed the lasagna. I will be back to visit from a distance.

    • Becky Dingle says:

      That lasagna was out of this world…was able to save just a little…more of a snack than meal…but it will be a good mid-afternoon pick me up! Thank you so so much!

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