As I write this, it is Saturday, October 15, 2011, and what a beautiful day it has been.  It has been a perfect CCR day (Credence Clearwater Revival to you young folks!).  There’s nothing like a clear, sunny day, a good breeze blowing, good music and being alone.

Today I got in my car, turned the CD on, rolled down the windows, opened the sun-roof and I rode for an hour or two just me, the sun in my face, the wind blowing my hair and CCR at their best.  It can’t get no better than that for whatever ails you.  No matter what kind of mood I am in music can change it.  And I don’t mean those old “tear jerkers” like “I Stopped Lovin’ Her Today.”  Those can make you want to shoot yourself!

“Don’t tell me she likes Rock ‘n Roll” you may say.  “I sho’ do” is my answer.  I always will.  I grew up on it.  It does not touch my faith and my trust in the Lord.  It is my way of relaxing, blanking out everything but the music.  Music can make you feel great or it can put you down in the dumps or worse.  Now I won’t be caught playing anything by Sarah Vaughn, Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Temptations and a lot of the others whose names now elude me.  I will never listen to “The Great Pretender” again.  Too many memories.

If depression is your problem pay attention to what you listen to, watch on TV, and read. For instance, I never watch sad shows on TV and I never read books by Nicholas Sparks. “The Notebook” was enough to cure me of him.  I cried from cover to cover.

When you listen to music listen to something happy, not the sad ones, when you read a book don’t read the sad ones, when you read the newspaper don’t read the sad stories.  Read the “funnies” instead.

If you want to keep your spirits up you must keep happy or funny thoughts in your mind.  If you start dwelling on how this one has hurt you, how that one said something ugly to you and how you would like to get even with that other one there’s no hope for peace for you.  You have to leave the petty things where they are.  In the gutter.

Someone told me once to “pick your fights.”  I don’t fight any more.  Last year I was cheated out of a lot of money that people owed me and wouldn’t pay me.  Rather than fight I let it go.  I don’t have to get revenge.  “Revenge is Mine, sayeth the Lord.”  One has already gone broke and I didn’t have a thing to do with it.  It will be interesting to see how the others fare over the years.  And you know what?  I can still love these people as my brothers and sisters for God made them for a purpose (I just wish they had found that purpose before they left me owing me over $10,000!).

Here I go rambling again.  My lesson today is “Be Happy.”  Sometimes we can be happier on some days just being alone and enjoying the solitude.  I can.  Or we can do as I did today and listen to some good music.  

Find what gives you peace and do it.  Whatever makes you sad don’t do it.  Sometimes this kind of day can make me sad so I try to do something about it. When I listened to CCR till I was afraid I would cause serious ear drum damage I stopped at County Park, walked awhile and watched the children at play in the playground while I was writing this column in my head.

Be happy.

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