A musician friend of mine, John Fullbright, says "Somebody tell me, what's so bad about happy" in his song "Happy". Well 
that got me to thinking, which many people think is a dangerous thing for me to do, what is so bad about happy?
I try to stay happy. I think most of us do. We try to exercise, avoid people that bring us down, try not to drink too much but no matter what I try, happy ain't easy. We try to think positive, always look on the bright side and all that but No matter what I think, happy ain't easy.
Happy ain't easy because bad things happen. Howling winds – they find us and they chill us. In the Phantom of the Opera the chandelier crashes down and almost kills the fat lady (you know the one that has to sing). The director tries to calm her by saying "these things happen" but as the diva quits in disgusts she says "These things happen but they don't happen to me." We like to think bad things don't happen to us, but they do.
Dogs die, precious people leave, all kinds of bad stuff.
Some of us throw ourselves into our job, some turn to drink, some go get a new relationship, some move to another place but no matter what we do, no matter where we go, happy ain't easy.
Then there are those that have all the answers. Ugh. Some have lots of money, some are in the church, some just plain want you to think they have life all together. They're great and we're idiots…they call out from their safe place…Stand your ground - Call for grace, It’ll make you whole.
But what are these fine folks like when bad stuff comes to them, bad thoughts, bad people...who stands their ground when the wind blows straight thru your soul? Nobody.
I've been there. You kind of get your stuff together and bam... bad stuff seems to come looking for you. I think it really does. I know where the wind blows, When the wind don’t know nowhere else to blow. Then the wind blows hard – hard thru our souls.
It does not matter if we are the king of the world, bad stuff happens. It doesn't matter if we "know God personally", bad stuff happens. No matter who we are. No matter who we know.
But… there's a limit to the bad stuff. The one who lets the winds blow, Holds back the seas. We can be happy. Maybe we will, maybe we won't but we can be happy.
So John You ask, what’s so bad about happy and I've thought about it and near as I can tell ,not one damn thing.
And I am happy quite a good bit actually. It just ain't easy :)
Happy Ain't Easy Click here to hear the song
Lyrics:
You ask, what’s so bad about happy
Well near as I can tell - not one damn thing
But oh you know - Happy ain’t easy
No matter what I try
No matter what I think
Howling winds – they find us and they chill us
Howling winds – they always seem to blow
And they blow hard - hard thru our souls
No matter what we do
No matter where we go
Others they call out from their safe place
Stand your ground - Call for grace It’ll make you whole
But who stands their ground – when the wind howls
When the wind blows straight thru your soul
You see I know - I know where the wind blows
When the wind don’t know nowhere else to blow
Then the wind blows hard – hard thru our souls
No matter who we are
No matter who we know
The one who lets the winds blow
Holds back the seas
Speak up if you understand
But as for me
I’m just a man
And you ask what I do not understand.
You ask, what’s so bad about happy
Well near as I can tell - not one damn thing
But oh you know - Happy ain’t easy
No matter what we try
No matter what we think