THE SONIC BOOMER
We’ve all heard it said that it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile. So, to avoid a strenuous workout, we should smile more often. But on some days, frowning seems to come a lot more easily. To help you turn your frown upside-down, I’ve compiled a to-do list for you. Even the most die-hard curmudgeon ought to get a smirk out of at least one of them.
• Cuddle a puppy. That squirming little beast in your arms is so new to the world that he may try to get down, may pee on your slacks in excitement, may claw his way up your shirt to lick your face. But there’s something magical about a brand-new being getting to know the world for the first time.
• Hug your mom. Whether she’s at her desk or at the stove, tending to a sickly plant or a sickly child, your mom deserves a hug. And the funny thing about hugs is, they go both ways. Even a catch-you-from-behind hug transfers the warmth of the body and the feelings of the soul between hugger and huggee. If you want to go the extra mile, give her a peck on the cheek, too.
• Feed a bottle to a baby. A hungry baby is an unhappy baby, and they’re very anxious to express this feeling via high wails and desperate sobs. Enter you and your warm, soothing bottle. You are their savior. You are their nurturer. You are the mightiest hero in their world! The minute they start, their eyes beam with gratefulness and adoration. What’s not to like?
• Go for a drive. If you can escape for even half an hour, a drive that heads directly away from your job, your doctor’s office and all government offices can be enormously relaxing. Avoid looking at billboards and reading signs if you possibly can. Instead, seek out cyclers cycling, kids playing, dogs running and other happy signs of life.
• Tour an art museum. Any museum is fine, really, but art tends to offer a different perspective — sometimes a wildly different perspective. I just came from a museum that featured the stitch work of Lucy Sparrow. Call her crazy, call her a visionary, but her full-size grocery store sure made me smile — it’s made completely out of felt, right down to the bananas and ATM machine!
• Sit around a public pool in the sun. The sun itself seems to coax out a smile, but a pool with gleeful toddlers in the shallow end, bathing beauties in the middle and a few husky lifeguards around the perimeter serves as a healthy reminder that not every minute of every day has to be filled with turbulence and toil.
• Eat a chocolate bar. Yes, I said it. Go down to the nearest store and buy yourself a little piece of heaven. Don’t think about how much it costs “these days” nor how many calories it adds to your diet. Just peel back the wrapper and take a great big bite. Let that chocolaty smoothness melt over your tongue and revel in it. You worked for it; you deserve it; and now you’re enjoying it. It makes me smile just thinking about that for ya!
Feel better yet? I do.
