Episode Notes

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is 60 Seconds, your daily dose of hope, imagination, wisdom, stories, practical tips, and general riffing on this and that.

What is happiness? In the closing pages of his short book of musings, A Man Without a Country, Kurt Vonnegut offered me an unexpected image of happiness I carry with me to this very day:

Here’s 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.””

BONUS:

“Those of us who had imagination circuits built (by teachers and others when imagination was important) can look in someone’s face and see stories there; to everyone else, a face will just be a face.” [Vonnegut on imagination]

 

This is the place to thrive together. Come for the stories – stay for the magic. Speaking of magic, would you share a nice rating/review on Apple Podcasts and when you come back bring your friends and rellies. You’re invited to stop by the website and subscribe to stay current with Diane, her journeys, her guests, as well as creativity, imagination, walking, stories, camaraderie, and so much more: Quarter Moon Story Arts

Production Team: Quarter Moon Story Arts
Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music
All content and image © 2019 – Present Quarter Moon Story Arts

Contributors

Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music
Diane F Wyzga, Podcaster, Story Artist & Critical Listening Coach