Happiness is not a destination, it's a way of life. Wise words in these dark days of panic toilet paper hoarding.
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I read them on a postcard waiting for a prescription at the chemist the other day.
Always a quiet time for reflection, waiting for your medicine. Pondering the weird array of things chemists sell and the possibility that a chemist is as good a place as anywhere to contract coronavirus. Hopefully there's enough toilet paper left to combat the hysteria.
Of course, the virus doesn't give you the runs - except to the supermarket by the looks of it. Talk about doom and gloom.
It's been constant this year. Bushfires, drought, now the virus, locust plagues in Africa, wars everywhere. Makes you think the four horsemen of the apocalypse have saddled up. And just when you think it can't get any worse, the US Democrats give the yanks multiple reasons to re-elect Donald Trump in November.
It can be applied to all manner of daily chores - like cleaning the oven.
Experience proves that If you rub hard enough with steel wool and caustic soda, you can get the stuff that's been glazed on the runners off. It's probably also an effective hand-sanitising method for Covid 19, although it will cost you the feeling in your fingertips and the lining on your lungs.
But happiness is a way of life, right? And it's all about contentment and not craving something better. Like not cleaning the oven. Because where would that leave the oven? On the wall, where it's always been. Caked with crud, possibly dreaming about pyrolitic cleaning - if ovens could dream.
I was dreaming about pyrolitic cleaning when I bought the oven because pyrolytic cleaning is a function you pay extra for. It supposedly cleans with minimal effort and works by heating the inside of the oven up to 500°C, causing the state energy grid to sag.
Thereafter any grease or food residue supposedly burns off. Like optimism after watching the news.
For some reason, though, you still have to spend several hours grinding the side rails with said steel wool and caustic soda pondering how happiness is a way of life.
It's a similar mindset to that recommended venturing outside to duel with the mosquitoes at the moment.
Talk about ferocious hanging the clothes on the line, concentrating one peg at a time, on not going mad.
Hard to resist the urge to throw the clothes on the lawn and run howling into the house slapping yourself on the head.
But beware the partner who takes up the assault inside, shouting 'mossiie on your head!" And bam, you get belted you with what they say was the best of intentions.
Probably knock some sense into you because yes, happiness is a way of life - and it's best you make the most of your current destination. Just check you've got enough toilet paper for the long haul.
