I got such a lovely comment on yesterday’s post from the marvelous Marie of My Little Corner of Rhode Island and it echoes something I’ve felt myself for a very very long time:

“As for me – and you,too, I suspect – I choose to shine…”

Indeed I do, my friend; I like to think I’m working to get better at it all the time. It’s a point of reference, a philosophy I can’t imagine living without. My love of the ‘dark side’ with all of my death-doom-and-destruction black humor and the thrillers and horror stories is only fun and safe to explore because it is undergirded with the belief that life in its natural state is meant to be beautiful, joyful and sweet. Yeah, I’m a big ol’ naive goof that way.

I put this illustration together quite some time ago–can’t even remember exactly what the occasion happened to be–simply because it really does reflect something that’s quite central to my worldview. In my heart I’m pretty convinced the entire world could be saved if enough people got ‘Pollyanna‘s Disease’ and just opted to believe in kindness and goodness and peace and all of that silly, fluffy stuff, let alone to actually get out there and practice it. Life can truly be dirty, ugly, complicated and terrifying in turns (well, sometimes all at once); why on earth would anyone want to keep focused on those parts if there’s an alternative?

I understand. I’ve had it pretty cushy through the majority of my existence, but I do know what it’s like to be knocked down, to hit bottom, too. So why get all tutti-fruity and dance en pointe through the daffodils like a drunken fairy queen with my assertions of a Happy World? Because I’m no crusader–I’ve no taste for starting an actual worldwide political campaign to End Severe Naughtiness and Rotten Mean-itude despite the charm of thinking it would be even remotely possible. It’s too large a job for a person like me. But I’m here to say that besides really believing in all this mushy stuff I cling to it because the belief itself provides a path to joy.

Does that make me ridiculous? A lightweight? A fool? Why, yes, thank you, it does. In a way that makes me proud. It seems to me that if I’m marginal, an outsider, there are far worse ways to stand out than by being happy. By working at being happy. What a nice way to be a freak. So pardon me if I excuse myself to continuing with my hippity-hopping through the sunshine with cartoon theme songs on my mind and sequins on my soul. Oh, and you’re welcome to tag along if you don’t mind looking a little silly too.