I’m sitting here in my big, comfortable, manly, black leather poppa chair in my living room…and I am a very happy guy. It has been a weird and wonderful week. Visits from our sons Eric and Mark and their ladies Brenda and Donna for Thanksgiving, and some shaky connections semi-re-established from some long ago friends on Facebook, and some working on stuff around the house that proved once again that there are 6 stages to tightening a connection between two pipes. Loose, tight, tighter, very tight, over tight, and loose again…quick get a mop. Let’s not go there.
There are lots of things I don’t like about Facebook. But as I told you, I have a new book out called Staying Happy, Healthy and Hot, and the publisher suggested, pretty much at gunpoint, that I join. So I did. Sort of. I don’t really have the hang of it yet. But I think I’m back in touch with some folks I haven’t talked with in years, and that’s good.
And I’ve set up some radio interviews for the book, which is also good. One of the interviews is with Bradley Jay at WBZ, the station in Boston where I spent a lot of happy years. There’s a story about that station in the book by the way. I’m looking forward to doing the interview, because Bradley sent me an Email that made me think about what the book, and this podcast is really all about. He said, “What is the one question the book brings up that I can ask listeners to answer.” Bradley obviously understands how to start an interview.
What’s the one question that these podcasts and the book is really all about. The real question is, “Are you happy?” And that question is like an onion. There are lots of layers to an onion, and to that question. As you peel an onion, and that kind of question, you sometimes start to cry…and as you keep peeling, you sometimes start crying so hard you start to laugh. Onions and good questions like that can really get to you.
Are you happy? Peel one layer off that question and you come up with, “Are you having any fun?” Fun ignites the “happiness.” Or is it the other way around ? That’s a good question in itself. Lots of the Dreary Drone people say, “How can I have any fun ? I’m suffering from such rejection. My shrink cancelled my last session, and every time I tell my doctor what hurts, he backs away from me. My rejection started when I was a baby. I was born on a cold February night. Do you know how hard it is to nurse through a thick wool sweater ? Besides that, who wants to always be the life of the party. The life of the party almost always winds up asleep on a bed with somebody’s coat over him.”
Big Louie, his own bad self, the chief mustard cutter of the Louie Louie Generation always says, “Figure out what you really want in life before you’re too old to do it. Then as long as you still have some moving parts…for crying out loud…move your parts.” What he means is, are you having any fun?
Fun’s important. Fun makes you happy. When you’re happy, you tend to stay healthy. And when you’re healthy, you’re Hot. I have a lot of fun doing the weekly podcast and blog. Big Louie and I have a lot of fun giving our Louie Louie Generation folks a ‘tude tune up …especially going into the holidays. Gotta get the tingle back in your ‘tude… your attitude. Christmas is coming, and you need some tingle to make it jingle.
Another reason I do this podcast and another reason for the book, is that if you buy the book, or the CDs on the website, I’ll make some money. But really…I don’t need the money. I’m a long way from being a member of the financial top one percent, but I’m not needy by any means. So I really don’t need more money to be happy. But I do need to feel like I can still connect with some good people and give them a little charge for when their tingle batteries might be running down. That makes me happy. That’s why I loved being on the air…I felt like I could do that in those days. I’m a very happy guy now, to a very great extent because I think I can do it with these blogs and podcasts, and now with the new book. And I think that’s one reason I’m pretty healthy…always have been. And I’ll leave the rest of the Happy, Healthy and Hot sequence up to your imagination.
Dick’s Details Quiz. (All answers are in the current podcast)
1- What lesson can we learn about staying safe from termites ?
2- How long does it take an exotic dancer to shake off 144 calories ?
Dick’s Details. They take your mind off your mind.
We were talking about the sometimes profound effects of peeling an onion a little while ago. There’s a story about that in the Night Connections 2 Personal Audio CD. It’s called, Daddy’s Girl.
You just want to put your arm around her, and give her a little comfortable shoulder time.
Daddy’s Girl is from the Night Connections 2 Personal Audio CD. If you like it, you can just keep the current podcast. Or, if you want a fresh copy, just download it from the Night Connections 2 icon on the home page.
Time to ask for your favorite Christmas memories. What is it that put the best Kris Kringle tingle in your jingle. My email address is dick@dicksummer.com . You don’t have to be a Charles Dickens level writer…just an honest Louie Louie Lad or Lady who has had something wonderful happen at Christmas. Please send your stories. We’ll use some in the next few podcasts, and post even more of them on the blog at www.dicksummer.com/dsblog
We’ll have lots of your Christmas story blogs next week, but we’ll be taking a week off from the podcasts, because David “The podcast master” Summer and his Julie, and my Lady Wonder Wench and I are taking time out to get ready for some pre-Christmas fun. So the next podcast will be the week of December 9th. You are correct if you are thinking there are some parties involved. I always have fun when people come to my parties. When people come to a party, they always need to use the bathroom. And statistically, 40% of party guests look in your medicine cabinet when they do that. So last time, I put a put a very realistic looking toy rat in mine. It makes me happy to know that I helped my Lady Wonder Wench’s friend “Tall Beth” to set the record for the first human to hit a high F# above high C.
All so true…be happy!
As I mentioned in email I would love to see your next book be about your radio days in NYC and Boston.