Everything’s Amazing, Nobody’s Happy
Filed under: Communication, Everyday Happiness, Happiness, Humor
This is a simply riotous video that you’ll especially appreciate if you are “older” (over 25). In a four-minute clip of Conan O’Brien hosts the comedian Louis CK who is talking of the spoiled generation (tho frankly, I know a lot of older folks who behave the same way).
The sentiment here is that we are living in a world that is truly astounding… and we’ve become numb to the miracles we live with every day. Enjoy!
If you cannot view the video clip here, you can see it at YouTube
Putting this sentiment into action
While I was nearly hysterical with laughter the first time I viewed this, I found that a second viewing led me down a more reflective path. What ARE the everyday miracles I take for granted? Here’s just three:
- Ten years ago if I wanted to discover facts about a topic I would have to read the Encyclopedia (a now-ancient format for gathering info), or spend a half day going to the library for research. Now, I just Google it, in seconds.
- When my oldest child went to college, we established our own toll-free phone number, because that was the only way to avoid outrageous ‘long-distance’ phone charges. Now, my “land” phone is via the Internet, and I can call anywhere in the world and nobody cares about cost.
- And one of my favorites: my record collection when I was younger weighed about 60 pounds and required two people to carry a huge, heavy-duty crate; AND I could only play one record at a time. Now, I carry over 220 albums — enough music to mix and play continuously for 10.1 days! — in a container slightly larger than a deck of cards. OH, and I have my entire movie collection in that same container. OH, and the equivalent of six photo albums. How cool is that?!
When you take a moment to appreciate what you DO have, rather than focusing on what’s missing, you’ll have a much happier ride!
Hey, how about you take a moment to leave a comment and share just 1-2 everyday miracles that you thought about while reading this post! Thanks.
Happiness, the BOOK!
The 13 Principles of Happiness
Thanks for the video Jim, I laughed and agreed
Three things . . .
1) The ability to send a txt message telling someone that I love them.
2) The library and online access to look up what I want . . .I can obtain almost any kind of book. Interlibrary loans, putting books on hold (and having them delivered to the library closest to my home), DVDs for me and my kids to watch, it’s amazing.
3) The GPS in my car, has saved me hours of frustration, the cost and hassle buying maps, and (actually) has given me the fun of teaching my kids about maps in an interactive way.
The curiosity and questions of my kids often remind me of how lucky I am, to have the advantages of all this technology. Like Nick’s dumbfounded look, when I told him my (then new) car talked *grin.*
Thanks for posting about this Jim!
GPS! Omigosh, I forgot about that. I had my first GPS experience two months ago while visiting Nashville. I was so amazed that it knew, within a few feet, exactly where I was. That is SO AMAZING!!!
Jim – I recently posted this same video on my blog…so funny!
I was gonna say my GPS (named Oliver…don’t ask) but y’all already beat me to it!
1. My eyes. I’ve been wearing glasses since before I was 5 years old. (And I’m NOT saying how many years ago that was.
) I’ve been wearing coke-bottle glasses and eye-irratating contacts since then. In 2002 I saved my nickles and dimes and had laser surgery on both eyes. Now ever morning when I wake up I can see the alarm clock clearly, I can read in bed as late as I want to wihtout worrying about my contacts bugging me, I can wear whatever style of sunglasses I want to whenever I want to. I can see perfectly without any help. It’s amazing!!
2. (You knew this one was coming Jim…..) One word. Kindle.
I can fit a library of books into 11 ounces of electronic-ness. AND I can download even more whenever I want to! No need to make the agonizing choice of 1 book and 3 pair of shoes, or 3 books and 1 pair of shoes when traveling. Now it’s hundreds of books AND 4 pair of shoes!!! Could anything be more perfect?!?
Having come of age with the earliest computers – so large you needed a room to house them – and telex machines which pre-dated faxes,I can find a lot of every day miracles to marvel over.
A few biggies for me:
Medical technology that has allowed me to have early detection and cure of a medical issue that would otherwise have likely had a very different outcome.
Longstanding cyber friendships that are very meaningful to me, with people I have never met in real life.
Availability of instantaneous news from a myriad of different viewpoints and especially from people who aren’t professional journalists.
Lisa and Karen — I love your observations — thanks for sharing. Kindle and Medical miracles are worlds apart in terms of their impact, yet both are still AMAZING! Even in the science fiction novels of my youth, imagination could not grasp some of the stuff that is, today, taken for granted. Wow! This makes me so happy!