Finding Happiness!

 

Happiness isn't a common word nowadays.

I have some ideas about how to find happiness in this Covid world. You will have to find your own. For one, I avoid talk about human beings whose evictions and foreclosures have been delayed due to the intervention of the government. I don't want to discuss the day in the near future when these people are going to have to cough up (a bad joke), a lot of money. Everybody knows somebody who has lost a job. What will the net result be? Riots, and general mayhem. If you hated the riots in major cities thus far, hold onto the arms of your rocking chair. Sorry, I don't mean to ruin your day. 

Maybe I'm wrong; maybe it won't get worse in America and the world. Vaccines are on their way. Some people think that a new president will solve everything. Sorry, it won't. But back to my point. Somehow, with all the bad news in America, we need to stay positive. I'm not suggesting we all put on a happy cartoon smiling face on our masks that says, "Have a nice day!" There's no doubt sad news can be depressing, and then we are no good to anyone, including ourselves.

Here's what I did recently: I sold my Utah land and left Everett, Washington with some truly idealist notions about living on my Utah land. I had a big new tent, a big solar kit, and a sleeping bag that could withstand freezing temperatures. But Utah is the driest state in the union. It is illegal to dig a well without water rights. And in the four years since I acquired my land, those costs have tripled. I blame Santa Barbara for why I love the beach and fish tacos. It it was a song it would be titled: Blame it on the guacamole. I've had a wake up call the past few months. I can't afford to buy a house anywhere on the West Coast of the USA., anywhere near a beach. If you don't already know, there is a feeding frenzy going on in the real estate market. The greediness of real estate agents and sellers have no bounds. As a sort of social experiment, I communicated with many real estate agents and three lenders. They virtually said the same thing: It all comes down to money coming in every month. The hypocrisy is that freelance income, unless it is guaranteed in writing for three years, doesn't count when you go looking to buy a house. However, if I land another position with an agency, suddenly the lenders will love me again. Even though this is illogical, because people are regularly permanently laid off in this pandemic situation.

What we are looking at is a world further divided between the haves and the have-nots. All the bullets in the world won't fix that. All the plywood nailed to protect windows and doors won't fix it. We may be in for a Zombie Apocalypse. It's like that novel (and film), The Road. I met several people who sleep in their cars in California. A lady from Iran, who came here six years ago, sleeps in her car near California beaches. Why aren't these people's stories on the front pages of every newspaper? The bottom line is: We all need to be a little less judgmental of others, and try a little more love. I try, but I can't afford to help everyone I've met. I couldn't help the Iranian lady. It's a heartbreaking thing to realize you can't help everybody you meet. I brought her breakfast once, on Pismo Beach, and gave her a pair of earrings I'd bought in Utah. It put a smile on her face. That smile was worth a million dollars. It was a good day for both of us.

There is still beauty of the world. Sunshine through fall colored maple leaves, a bird hovering on the wind, the ocean gently lapping a beach, elk that let you take photos from a short distance away. Despite the fires in California, Oregon, and Washington, the West Coast has some truly awe-inspiring natural beauty. Having spent two months in southwest Utah in order to sell my property, I was physically and emotionally in need of the moistness of the Pacific NW. For over fifty days, the temperatures in Saint George, Utah were over 100F. Too hot for this amphibian.

A buck in a herd of twenty-two elk I found by a harbor near Fort Stevens, in Oregon.

In my recent travels I found a few cool motels. Many motels are not being maintained, so when you find any joy at staying at a motel, you should fill out the surveys and let people know some happiness can still be found on The Road.

I stayed in motels as I drove north along the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington. Weekends are the priciest time to stay in a motel. One motel lady said I should just pick one and go there to get a room and not bother with Booking, Priceline, Expedia, or any other service online. You often get the same rate. Three times Booking.com messed up my booking and I had to cancel reservations and get a refund. This involves having the motel proprietor reply to the booking company to let them know they would waive the penalty for cancelling. The last motel I stayed in was in Astoria, Oregon. The Atomic Motel. It's a kitschy motel; a bit funky too. 

The Atomic Motel's decor was 1950s Rat Pack. The lobby was also way kitschy.

The bottom line is: Have fun; remember that life is supposed be happy. Help people if you can. We must get through this, there is no other option. Do nice things for yourself. Buy that special creme for your face. Eat organic, and often. Drink lots of water. Avoid cane sugar. If the world seems too gloomy to go on, try making your own happiness wherever you are. Buy a lamp like this, and it may get you through the day with a smile on your face.