NORM!

      Howdy Friends and Neighbors:  Some of my favorite phrases come from the character, “Norm,” on the TV show “Cheers.”  As he entered the bar, everyone in the place would yell his name and then someone would always ask him a question, and he always had the best replies.  My favorite is the one where the bartender “Sam” asked the simple small talk question, “What’s up Norm?”  And his response is ever so true today.  He simply responded, “The cost of living!”   I find myself saying the same thing every time someone asks me the very same question.  Norm had a bunch of good comebacks for his grand entry into the tavern.  Another favorite of mine was when Coach asked, “What’s it like out there?”  Norm’s answer, “It’s a dog-eat-dog world and I’m wearing milk-bone underwear!”  Another one: “Hey Norm, how’s the world been treating you?”  I love this one… Norm: “Like a baby treats a diaper!”  And if you know how big I am, you’ll like this one as much as I do.  “Whatcha up to Norm?”  “My ideal weight if I were eleven feet tall!”  

            I use many of these quotes every time someone asks the right question, and it always prompts a smile.  I know things seem tough at the current time, and I just like to see people smile. Well, according to all the dooms day media, life seems tough.  But stop and ask yourself if life today is really tough?  Oh, it could be.  But what is this dooms-day media comparing life today with?  Would we in America have a better life if gas were $.25 a gallon?  Would we be happy then?  I’m going to venture to say that if we could buy gas for $.25 a gallon, the media would have something else to focus our emotional fear on.  I’m sorry; I’m not buying into the fact that my life stinks because gas is too high.  Nor do I buy into the fact that food is too high.  I keep hearing all these news reports that food is going up, but my family’s food budget hasn’t changed in a year and a half and I’m not starving. Norm is right, I would be my ideal weight if I were eleven feet tall.   Nor have our habits changed much.   I shake my head as the evening anchor tells me that the economy is terrible in the U.S. and then turns to a “special report” on the record sales of a stinking video game.  Recession stricken people lined up for several city blocks to plop down sixty bucks for ten-cent piece of plastic that contained the video game.  But how can this be true?  According to the lead story, everyone is broke after buying gas and food.

            I’ll admit the cost of gas and fuel has me re-thinking some summer activities, but life is good.  I always get flooded with e-mails after I write about how much I enjoy life in America from people that are just mad about things.  They always point out how bad things are and who is to blame.  But I just don’t get it.  I assume they are the same folks that sit around and say to themselves,  “I hope we can elect a president that will solve my problems.  Or, if Congress would just pass a bill that would solve these terrible issues, then life would be good.”  I guess the difference between us is at some point I decided to solve my own problems.  I’m not waiting on a president or Congress to take action on my happiness. I’m already there. 

            I truly believe that laughter is the key.  It is a lot easier to enjoy life and just smile.  If you’re looking for advice on being happier, quit watching the news!  Oh, and swing more. 

            I’m Monte Tucker, and that’s what’s under my happy hat.