Ten things to be happy about.

So often this blog is bitch, bitch, bitch, rant, rant, rant. That's a cycle that's gotta stop. Life is too good for worry, too good for constant complaining. I'm as guilty as the next guy. What's stranger yet is that I consider myself a pretty optimistic person. I wonder if my new job's high stress level has changed my outlook a bit. I hope that it hasn't. I want to be positive and optimistic but maintain my pragmatic side. That seems to be a challenge. Well, anyway, in the spirit of Friday and celebrating the good in life, I thought I'd post a list of ten things to be happy about.

Thing to be happy about #1: Fridays. Even though I still have to work this weekend, Friday is still good. Especially when it's a payday! Woo hoo.

Thing to be happy about #2: Having a job. Even though I spend lots of time stressing out and worrying about my job, it's still a very good thing to have one. There's plenty of people who don't have a job at all or really hate the one they've got. So I guess I'm not doing so bad after all --- good gig, interesting career, etc.

Thing to be happy about #3: Summer's abundance. This morning I ate a fresh peach, dripping with yummy peach juice. This summer I got to eat Iowa Sweet Corn the last week in July, when it was in its prime. Come December I'll be dreaming of these yummies.

Thing to be happy about #4: Routine. Wake up. Walk the dog. Take a shower. Eat something. Go to work. Take a lunch break. Work some more. Go home. Read. Relax. Sleep. Repeat. I don't think it's boring, I think it's predictable. I'll save impulses for the weekend.

Thing to be happy about #5: (Good) Surprises. Like a package in the mail from your mother, finding an extra 10 dollars in your wallet or picking out the perfect gift for someone you love.

Thing to be happy about #6: Treats. Rainsettes and Hot Tamales at the movies, a Sonic Cherry Limeade or a delicious chocolate. Cold Stone Creamery is another fine example. The aforementioned summer peach also fits the bill.

Thing to be happy about #7: Silliness. I must be careful not to take life too seriously. I should laugh more often, methinks.

Thing to be happy about #8: Blogs. I love to read a good blog. They're often funny, witty and honest. There's something society seems to lack as a whole. So at least I can find it in little tiny pockets of the World Wide Web.

Thing to be happy about #9: Books. Last night I got (another) library card. I lost the first one and hadn't been to the library in several years. But now I am once again a card-carrying, Volkswagen-driving, peace-loving bookworm nerd. Mmmm, I love that.

Thing to be happy about #10: A fresh start. I have always loved back-to-school time. New clothes, new shoes and new notebooks. A blank page to fill with new ideas and knowledge. Now that I'm no longer involved in the echelons of academic and also not teaching school (where I had always predicted I would be spending my career) I find myself really missing School Daze. Even though I am not teaching students and not schooling myself anymore, I still love the time of year for the hope and promise it brings to the lives of many. Hopefully my summer of struggle is over and I can look forward to a school year as a new, fresh start.