"If This Isn't Nice..."

[pamela]

From Kurt Vonnegut...

But I had a good uncle, my late Uncle Alex. He was my father’s kid brother, a childless graduate of Harvard who was an honest life-insurance salesman in Indianapolis. He was well-read and wise. And his principal complaint about other human beings was that they so seldom noticed it when they were happy. So when we were drinking lemonade under an apple tree in the summer, say, and talking lazily about this and that, almost buzzing like honeybees, Uncle Alex would suddenly interrupt the agreeable blather to exclaim, “If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.”
So I do the same now, and so do my kids and grandkids. And I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, 'If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.

I hope we can all find moments of pure joy this week, or at least contentment, and that we stop to notice it and feel it. We won. Joe Biden will be President. Kamala Harris will be Vice-President. We held the House and took the Senate. If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.

[ornotna]

1. While dinking a coffee and reading DU

Yeah, this is nice.

[pazzyanne]

2. Joining you for coffee this morning.

This is nice!

[jaxexpat]

3. Yep, it sure is. Clock on the wall even sings as it counts the hours 'til noon Wednesday.

[Solomon]

5. Me too.

[pamela]

12. That's the spirit!

Happy Inauguration Week!

[RainCaster]

33. Coffee, a dog in my lap, reading DU...

With two more dogs laying in front of the lit fireplace.
Life is good.

[yellowdogintexas]

47. Same here: except substitute a geriatric cat for the dog and add Thom Harttman nt

[canetoad]

57. +1

Exactly what I'm doing.

[colorado_ufo]

39. Me, too!

I really enjoyed reading this.

[GeoWilliam750]

61. Tea for two is always pleasant

[niyad]

4. It is such a simple thing, so often overlooked. Some call it "an attitude of gratitude". Taking time

to be aware of good things, big or small.it is a good thing.

Sitting with my coffee, with everyone on DU, and my cat on my lap. This is nice.

[Trueblue Texan]

6. Thanks for this...

...after four years of rage and heartbreak and frustration, it might be difficult to remember how to be peaceful and happy again. A prompt to "notice when we're happy" is a great way to get on with our healing.

[gademocrat7]

7. Yes indeed

Decency and decorum are coming back.

[NoMoreRepugs]

8. Thank you Pamela, I hope all here heed the suggestion.

[Whiskeytide]

9. Too often, happiness is only recognized in retrospect. n/t

[OddMom20]

10. Thank you, Pamela!

A reminder to be appreciative (whether for big things like our hopeful future or the little things like a damn good cup of coffee) is just the grounding I needed!!

[MissMillie]

11. Line from an Aimee Mann song...

"Like most amazing things it's easy to miss, and easy to misplace
For when things are really great it just means everything's in its place."

[Wounded Bear]

13. "Stop and smell the roses..."

It's expressed in many ways in many cultures around the globe. And it's great advice.

Take the time to enjoy the good times.

Looking forward to the days of hugs and kisses again.

[Happyhippychick]

14. That, my friends, it's called "mindfulness "

I’ve been practicing it for 30 years and I highly recommend it.

[OMGWTF]

45. Turns out we hippies were right about a lot of things!

[Happyhippychick]

62. Word!

[FailureToCommunicate]

15. While watching Capitol rioters get arrested !!

Seeing the videos and news links courtesy of hard working, hard posting DUers (Thank you all!)



If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.

[birdographer]

16. Huh!

Strange coincidence. While lying in bed this morning prior to getting up, I realized that I actually felt, well, kind of *happy*. Such an unfamiliar feeling it took me awhile to figure out what it was I was experiencing. And then I get up and read this. Yeah, if we find moments when we are not overwhelmed by all the bad and scary stuff, we need to savor those moments.

[Jon King]

17. I say it to my kid every day...

Enjoyed reading this. Not a day goes by when I don't say to my daughter when we are just riding somewhere or hanging out, what a nice day it is. Its so important to appreciate the happy times.

So much to be happy about with Biden-Harris. The power of the evil Repubs has peaked and the future is much brighter. Complete incompetent evil will be replaced by moral and highly skilled people.

[yellowdogintexas]

48. When the phrase "president elect Joe Biden" pops into my mind, I get a really warm feeling

all the way down to my toes. I smile every time I hear it.
It's really nice!!!

However I am holding my breath until that swearing in is finished and everyone is safely inside the building

[Dukkha]

18. When that day comes

I'll be sure to notice it.

[panader0]

19. Agreed. But sometimes it seems that every time I feel contented,

something happens. I get a tax rebate--my transmission goes out. I think, "I haven't been
sick all year--boom, I'm down for a week. Things always seem to balance out--the good times
and the not so good times.
"When life seems like easy street there is danger at your door."--Uncle John's Band by the Dead.

[wnylib]

65. That's what happened with me

on the 6th. I was up most of the night on the 5th, following the Georgia runoff results. Felt so good to see them win after all the hard work of people like Stacy Abrams. And knowing that Mitch was demoted to minority leader.

I saw Malaise's thread about what a beautiful morning it was and then finally went to sleep, feeling peaceful, contented, and happy.

I woke up around 2:30 pm to the sound of pounding on my apartment door. It was my neighbor across the hall, asking if I'd seen what was going on in DC.

So much for peaceful and contented.

But, in the past few days since then, my happiness is restored via the schaudenfreude of seeing the terrorists identified, caught, and charged. And knowing the inauguration is coming up, Trump is exposed and disgraced, and real leadership is coming soon.

There will always be rough times in life. All the more reason to enjoy and appreciate the good things whenever we can.

[TexasBushwhacker]

20. Vonnegut was the definition of "national treasure"

What book is this from?

[pamela]

22. A Man Without A Country

It's a story he often told to graduation audiences but it's from "Man Without A Country." I love Vonnegut. Definitely a national treasure.

[Skraxx]

21. Vonnegut, One of my Favorite Human Beings

and I've had the honor of a couple of extended, amazing conversations with him.

[gibraltar72]

23. I had an uncle Bob who taught me a lot about life.

Korean war veteran who was captured and imprisoned. He seemed to enjoy the little moments, because at one point in his life he didn't know if he'd every have any more.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

24. So many people seem to spend 100% of their time

wallowing in unhappiness. I especially see it on FB, where so many seem to take great pride in being depressed, in being ill, in failing to succeed at anything. It makes me crazy, and I want to call them out on it, except then I'd be the bad person for not being sympathetic to their trials and tribulations.

[vlyons]

25. One of the 4 Immeasurable Thoughts to contemplate

May all beings know the joy of appreciating the success, happiness, and well-being of others.

Immeasurable because of how beneficial it is in training one's mind. Here's the whole set. It's part of my daily meditation practice.

May all beings be free of suffering and free of the causes and conditions of suffering.

May all beings be happy and have the causes and conditions of happiness.

May all beings know the joy of appreciating the success, happiness, and well-being of others.

May all beings rest in the equinimity of no attachment and no aversion.

[wishstar]

26. Such a fine Martin Luther King Jr. Day today too

We have much to celebrate this week

[Wednesdays]

27. Pharrell Williams' "Happy" reflected the mood of the Obama era

We're about to begin a similar era!

[pamela]

28. I love the videos of John Lewis dancing to that.

[Danascot]

37. Another excuse to post my favorite video!

[iluvtennis]

42. That was wonderful - thnak you!!!!

[pamela]

43. That made me smile.

Thanks!

[Duppers]

46. Wow! What a wonderful video & Extraordinary Cat!

Thank you! Just loved this.

I had a kitty that loved dogs, all dogs but I don't think he'd swim with them. As I said, that's one extraordinary cat. Really enjoyed watching!

[Silver Gaia]

58. It is my firm belief that the lesson dogs are here to teach those of us who will listen

is to remember to live each moment of our lives with JOY (because, in the end, nothing else really matters...).

Thank you for the video (smiling through tears of joy).

[NoRoadUntravelled]

29. Lovely post and a good reminder to be aware of the good in life. nt

[Upthevibe]

30. pamela....

Very nice......Thank you...

[patphil]

31. Ah yes, that wonderful feeling of pure joy that springs forth from the spirit within us.

It can carry us through the roughest of times. It's heaven sent.

[BarbD]

32. DU, you are my anchor in the storm.

[kimbutgar]

34. I look forward to waking up on Thursday morning knowing Joe Biden is president

[llashram]

35. I always say to myself

and others during pre-pandemic day weekly get-togethers, "it don't get no better than this"

[PoliWrangler]

36. kick

[MontanaMama]

38. I hung a giant American flag across my front porch

this morning. Neighbors taking out the garbage and warming up their vehicles were yelling “woo-hoo! We’re back!” and giving me the thumbs up as they left for work. Love my blue street. It was very nice.
🇺🇸 😍🇺🇸🥰🇺🇸

[Joinfortmill]

40. Love this

[iluvtennis]

41. Thank you pamela for this post. If this isn't nice, I don't know what it.

[Nitram]

44. When I'm outdoors in nature with people, I sometimes draw their attention to how awesome it feels

to be where we are and what are seeing, hearing, smelling. The other day a friend mentioned how cool it was that they suddenly became aware of the delightful bird songs, insects sounds, the sweet summer smell of a Virginia wildflower meadow. Thanks for sharing Vonnegut's memory of Uncle Alex. Be Here Now.

[mollie8]

49. Good Times

This thread made me remember a summer day several years ago. I was sitting on our back steps with my grandson, who was probably 3 years old. The sun was shining and there was a breeze keeping us cool. I looked at him and said, "Are you happy?" He gave me a big smile and said, "Happy." That's one of the memories I like to revisit.

[Pluvious]

50. Kinna like that great feeling when...

A bully stops jabbing you with his fork.

[Redleg]

51. My favorite Kurt Vonnegut story

... of many. This he said in reference to our infrastructure: (I paraphrase) Americans don't want to maintain, they only want to build. Progress is always seen as shiny new stuff instead of maintaining some of the good things we have created. And so it goes...

[LiberalLovinLug]

52. I hope we can have one day at least to be happy. Jan. 20th

I don't know how much the red hat cult will ruin it though. We'll see.

The last "great" day was probably November 5th. When every news outlet finally gave the election to Biden. And people were out on the streets. Which wasn't a good idea health wise, but I still loves seeing it.

[RVN VET71]

53. I love the story and the sentiment, the very important sentiment

But it’s not over, as Yogi reminded us so often, until its over. The fecal unsurgency on January 6, 2021 still simmers across the nation and most of the simian killers are still running free. I’ll feel “nice-day” comfortable when hundreds of them have been locked up, including the leaders of every racist, fascist organization involved. I’ll feel “nice-day” when I see their weeping faces led away-- in orange clothes and manacles-- from the precious gift of freedom they vandalized, disparaged, and tried to destroy . (But even then, the. niceness of it will be tainted by sorrow over the waste of humanity they all represent, the potential for good and for progress they eschewed.)

However, OK, what was nice about today? My grandson is three years old. He knocked on the door to my den saying my name “Cappy, are you in there?” I got my fat butt out of my chair and went to open the door at the same time “Nana", my bride of 50 years, opened the bedroom door. Raz turned to my door as it opened and said “Cappy!!!” then turned quickly to my bedroom door and shouted “Nana!!” then went back and forth, alternatively looking at us and calling our names, then began spinning around and said “I’m so dizzy! Cappy and Nana!”

That was, unquestionably, nice.

[EarnestPutz]

54. Every so often someone quotes Kurt Vonnegut and it always makes me happy. He should be....

.....a religion, or at least a movement of some sort. Thanks, Pamela, for posting this.

[pamela]

56. Vonnegut always makes me happy, too.

He was so wise.

[AntiFascist]

55. It would be perfect if only...

the Media would stop describing Trump as "unprecedented".

I suggest that we invent a new term for Trump starting Jan. 20th: un-Presidented. If that isn't nice, I don't know what is!

[Silver Gaia]

59. Thank you for this post!

It is good to be reminded... 😊

[ClusterFreak]

60. pamela, you brought a tear to my eye!

Thank you for reminding us of the truest truth there is. Life is short. And not only should you be happy, you should take a moment to outwardly exclaim it when you are!!

[electric_blue68]

63. I learned to davor both big celebrations and "smaller"...

quieter moments of contentment, hours or a day or two of things going easy, great convos and laughter w friends, family, nice encounters w strangers, the wonder and beauty of Nature big, and small, Human Artistry, and Creativity.
I learned this lucikly from my parents.

(I have bouts of serious anxiety and more so I savor these all the more)

[BobTheSubgenius]

64. I say a version of this all the time.

When the sun shines here, it is the best place to live that I can imagine. I'm thankful for that every day.

[Celerity]

66. Fern Hill

Dylan Thomas


Now as I was young and easy under the apple boughs
About the lilting house and happy as the grass was green,
The night above the dingle starry,
Time let me hail and climb
Golden in the heydays of his eyes,
And honoured among wagons I was prince of the apple towns
And once below a time I lordly had the trees and leaves
Trail with daisies and barley
Down the rivers of the windfall light.

And as I was green and carefree, famous among the barns
About the happy yard and singing as the farm was home,
In the sun that is young once only,
Time let me play and be
Golden in the mercy of his means,
And green and golden I was huntsman and herdsman, the calves
Sang to my horn, the foxes on the hills barked clear and cold,
And the sabbath rang slowly
In the pebbles of the holy streams.

All the sun long it was running, it was lovely, the hay
Fields high as the house, the tunes from the chimneys, it was air
And playing, lovely and watery
And fire green as grass.
And nightly under the simple stars
As I rode to sleep the owls were bearing the farm away,
All the moon long I heard, blessed among stables, the nightjars
Flying with the ricks, and the horses
Flashing into the dark.

And then to awake, and the farm, like a wanderer white
With the dew, come back, the cock on his shoulder: it was all
Shining, it was Adam and maiden,
The sky gathered again
And the sun grew round that very day.
So it must have been after the birth of the simple light
In the first, spinning place, the spellbound horses walking warm
Out of the whinnying green stable
On to the fields of praise.

And honoured among foxes and pheasants by the gay house
Under the new made clouds and happy as the heart was long,
In the sun born over and over,
I ran my heedless ways,
My wishes raced through the house high hay
And nothing I cared, at my sky blue trades, that time allows
In all his tuneful turning so few and such morning songs
Before the children green and golden
Follow him out of grace,

Nothing I cared, in the lamb white days, that time would take me
Up to the swallow thronged loft by the shadow of my hand,
In the moon that is always rising,
Nor that riding to sleep
I should hear him fly with the high fields
And wake to the farm forever fled from the childless land.
Oh as I was young and easy in the mercy of his means,
Time held me green and dying
Though I sang in my chains like the sea.

[JohnnyRingo]

67. "Some days are better than others"

That's my credo. I say that when I'm having a good one.
It's not negative, but doesn't oversell either.

[lunatica]

68. Kick

Because this should be at the top of the posts.