Happiness Is...

It has come to my attention that, from time to time, I can be a bit of a "Mr. Cranky Pants." So much so that I am often asked "Does anything make you happy?" Of course...and since you asked so nicely (and left off the "...you big jerk" that usually ends the question), here in no particular order and with no rhyme or reason are a few things that bring joy to my life...

Sainted Wife...My Family...Colton Bough...Scooter & Casey, the WonderCats...MASH...The Andy Griffith Show...The amazingly talented improvisers at ComedyWorx...The Dick Van Dyke Show...Dan Lyons...Chuck...Goofy Silver Age Superman comics...William Shatner, James Spader and Boston Legal in general...The West Wing...The Big Bang Theory...Jack Webb's 1969-1972 Dragnet series...Super Sparkle Showcase...The good people at Rose of Sharon Baptist Church...Hee Haw...The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (the cartoon, not the movie)...Comics written by Geoff Johns, Gail Simone and Grant Morrison...The mad genius of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg...Captain America by Ed Brubaker...Pushing Daisies...Aaron Sorkin...The Complete Peanuts...It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown...Linus reciting the Christmas Story...Stephen Colbert & Jon Stewart...Napping on Sunday afternoon...Old friends...Bruce Springsteen...30 Rock...Saturday Night Live...Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen making hysterical movies with their friends...It's A Wonderful Life...John Wayne...Pulp Fiction...Travis Pomeroy as Jules...Jenny Spencer rapping 50 Cent...Life with Damian Lewis & Sara Shahi...The Office...and, of course, a warm puppy.

This is by no means a complete or exhaustive list...but I challenge you this week when things get bad (and they will) and the world seems to be falling apart around you (and it will), to take a few minutes and think about the things that bring you joy.

To quote that great philosopher Bruce Springsteen...."It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive."

Bad grammar aside...he's right. But then again, he's The Boss.