A few days after my semester ended (while I was in the midst of blog slackerdom), I was noodling around the internet. Somewhere or other was a story on the happiest states (to live in). Before I clicked for the answers, I just KNEW Louisiana would be in the top states. Why? Because people here are happy. As it turned out, Louisiana is NUMBER ONE!
This is so contrary to expectations. Louisiana is near the bottom in quality education (I'm TRYING, folks), income. It is near the top in political corruption and general sleaze (David Duke? Edwin Edwards? William Jefferson?). I think we are near the top in infant mortality and adult obesity. We have a regressive tax system.
When I look around my little town and those nearby, I see tiny public libraries. I see that Toys for Tots was taken over by the Marines this year, because the police department that ran it previously used the money donated to give a $900.00plus gift card to the mayor of the next town. Many of the good toys were taken by members of the police department, because, as the chief said, police officers are needy too. Said mayor recently resigned after various scandals, including driving through a barrier on the causeway. Then there's the beautifully renovated school board building, over budget but worth it, though the schools look like slums....
I once went through all this and more and my interlocutor said, "At least we know how to have a good time." Could that be it?
Writing while my son is peeling all the shrimp I bought yesterday. Is fresh (LARGE) shrimp for $2.98 per pound more conducive to happiness than quality schools? Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Do you live in a happy place?
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5 comments:
Does this mean Frugal Son is home? Yay!
So is the moral of the Toys for Tots debacle 'ignorance is bliss'?
Knowing how to have a good time is imperative, or one is, as one of my friends would say, "dead from the ass both ways."
It's got to be the food and the laid back attitudes.
Every place seems to have the corruption part by the way. The elected officials are clowns here.
Mon dieu!
Could it be that "happiness" is relative? Maybe Louisianans are simply less miserable than the rest of us.
Oh. Negative thinking, right? I'll try to do better... ;-)
Personally, I could be made a great deal less miserable by the presence of a few of those shrimps.
That study did say that it was taken prior to Hurricane Katrina. It would be interesting to know it LA would hold onto it's top rank post-Katrina.
Glad you're having fun anyway!
@Duchesse--Have to figure out that saying...Moral of Toys for Tots--ive to orgs you trust. Wait...we're supposed to trust the police dept...
@Cubicle--You KNOW LA is the winner though, right? Wm Jefferson's wife is asking the Feds to give her half the money confiscated from ill-gotten gains--b/c "it's a community property state"!
@Funny--I don't fit in here. First, I barely drink. Second, I am a lefty. Third, I am lugubrious by nature.
@Mary--Strangely, I think it would. I think the ranking would move UP, if it were possible to move up from #1. Strange again. I don't really share the mirth, due to my melancholy nature, as mentioned above.
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