I think if most of us were asked about our well-being, and where we might think the happiest people live, we'd probably answer Hawaii. It's an island paradise, right? Well, up until this year, Hawaii was ranked number one for several years, but it's lost its "Happy Place" title to North Dakota; yes, I did say North Dakota! What's worse is that South Dakota is ranked second, followed by Nebraska, Minnesota and Montana. Hawaii dropped to 8th place this year, and my home state of Florida comes in at number thirty. A friend remarked that people were even happier in New Jersey than we Floridians!
Now, I know that all five of these states get pretty cold all winter long. Along with most people north of Florida, these people have had one of the worst winters in history. If you put your ear to a conch shell in Key West you can hear the laments of Northerners everywhere. That's how miserable they all are! Everyone is praying for the end to this monster of a Winter. But these states are the top 5 happy places? I'm struggling with this theory, believe me!
What could possibly make these states the happiest in America? I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest an overabundance of hot toddies all winter; it's the only possible answer. Florida at number thirty? Come on, we've had a fairly typical winter this year, and our weather certainly has made us think we feel happier than most of the people up north that I know. But, that's it, I'm tired of being miserable down here in "Old Number Thirty," I'm going to move to North Dakota, where "Fargo" happens. I can't wait to be happy again!
More from Social Media; I saw a couple of quotes from Richard Branson, owner of everything Virgin. They were quite interesting; he said that "my headmaster told me I would either go to prison or become a billionaire." Nice call, sir. And he added that his best advice is that "the truth is, rules are made to be broken." Why didn't I hear this sage advice years ago when I was going through life trying to play by the rules? It's funny; he's a billionaire and I'm definitely not! We may need to revise the way we choose to live; next time I'm coming back as a brash Brit willing to break the rules and do whatever strikes my fancy!
And speaking of "never too late to change your mind," I saw a photo of an elderly woman on the back of a motorcycle, holding on for dear life. It seems that she had said she wouldn't ever ride a motorcycle until she turned 100, probably thinking that wouldn't happen. She just had her 100th birthday and she went for that bike ride. Pretty cool!
SM has definitely become the home of animal videos and photos. There seems to be a never-ending supply of great animal stuff; I'm always sharing these videos, and people I know love them. I actually look forward to the day's offerings; most of these videos will make you laugh, or at least smile. Unless you hate animals, of course; if that's the case you probably get ticked off by all these postings. Oh well!
I saw photos of a pure white albino marlin that was caught recently off Costa Rica. I know this might not seem like a big deal, but it's the first case of an albino marlin ever being caught. The fish was released back into the ocean unharmed. Pretty incredible how Mother Nature can keep surprising us!
One last thing I'd like to bring up. If adventure is something you like, you should take a few minutes to check out a blog being written by James Smith. He and his brother Jacob have been spending the winter down here converting their sailboat, Valhalla, to a "green vessel." They've removed the old diesel engine and replaced it with an electric one powered by solar panels they've installed on the boat. They've also installed a composting toilet, a unique concept. They're preparing for a trip to the Bahamas to test out their modifications. They'll be spending several months in the islands. These guys are doing something many of us can only dream about. Check out their website: PureOceanTV.com to see their blogs and other great stories.
Spring forth; crocuses, I believe. Photo by Jeff Yapalater of Long Island, NY - there is hope!
Happy St. Patrick's Day to all my Irish friends, or anyone else who uses it as a great excuse to party! Be safe!
As always, please share this to your timelines or forward to your friends if you enjoy. Thanks!
Mark T. Bradbury, Author
Literary Associate of Little Pond Publishing
Digital Publisher | eBooks | Marketing
Serpent's Curse should be available as a paperback from Amazon.com by
3/15/2014. Here's your chance to buy it if you haven't already!
Hahahaha ... you mean Maine didn't make the list? Certainly we can compete with all that snow and cold they have in the Dakotas! Remember, if you need a place to stay where you can snowmobile, ski or ice fish to your heart's content in the winter, Auntie has a place for you! Let's see, we have 3 seasons .... winta, mud and black fly, none of that year round sun and sand but if you need a change of pace, you are most welcome, lol. The only tan you will get is in a booth but we have blueberry pie, whoppie pie, maple syrup, nice lakes, long winters and Reny's ..... a Maine Adventure. Ya hear?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the flowery reference. Not having lived in the Caribbean I would like to try it. I think one takeaway is " be happy where and what you have" Good advice BUT the turquoise waters still call..
ReplyDelete