Happy Sounds

June 18, 2016
By: O. J. Cunningham

It was quiet early this morning. The weather was good. Soft, cool, summer breeze. Not a cloud in the sky.

I was just chilling.

And then . . . to make the moment complete, the coffee pot bubbled, gurgled noisily and wheezed with a "whoosh" to break the silence and happily announce that coffee was ready.

A happy sound! Perfect!

Got me thinking about other sounds that sprinkle happiness on my life.

A baby's laugh or giggle is universally considered a "happy sound." But, that's just too obvious and just way too easy.

Here's my list. I'm making my list more personal - to include sounds that are specifically related to the happiness of O. J. Cunningham.

Example: I have specific ringtones set up for a my "inner circle" of friends and family. Normally, a ringing cell phone in 2016 bodes evil . . . identifies a problem . . . announces an emergency. SOMETHING IS BROKEN OR ON FIRE!

But when I hear my wife's ringtone or the assigned melody that says my son or daughter is calling . . . I know that happiness is on the line. (Everybody else gets X-Files for their ringtone.)

Music also plays LARGE when it comes to the flow of my HAPPY.

Remember John Denver's "Sunshine on my shoulder makes me happy?" . . . "Rocky Mountain High in Colorado?"

Yup! HAPPY! That's me.

Then there's

Stairway to Heaven

The first few notes of Hotel California

Anything by Tom Petty, Joan Jett, Carole King, Garth Brooks, etc.

But, there's also a "live" audio track of Billy Joel singing "Piano Man" at Yankee Stadium that just blows my happiness level through the roof. It's when the entire crowd (maybe 70,000 strong) starts singing . . . (You know that Joel is holding the microphone out to the crowd) . . . "It's five o'clock on a Saturday . . ." ---> 70,000+ singing one Billy Joel song. (WOW!)

Everyone in Yankee Stadium knows all the words. How happy is that?

Hey, Batter, Batter . . .

The first crack of a batted ball announcing the start of MLB Spring Training is truly a sound that opens the memory bottle for me each and every year. Detroit Tiger batting practice at Lakeland, Florida is a symphony that "kicks it" for me and it's something everyone should hear at least once in their lifetime.

SPLASH BROTHERS -- It's amazing to me that every fan inside Oracle Arena (Golden State Warriors) breaths in and holds their collective breaths whenever Steve Curry or Klay Thompson attempt a 3-point field goal. And when the crowd (as one voice) exhales to cheer the shot's success . . . HAPPY!

How about the sound of the ice cream truck as it rolls into your neighborhood?

The ding of the elevator just before it opens

When they finally call your number at the DMV

You're not the last one chosen at dodgeball

That medical test comes back NEGATIVE

The finish line after a 5K

You get the idea.

Maybe there's a lot more reasons to be happy than you thought there were. (Smiley Face)

Take a moment today. Stop and listen. Maybe you'll hear your HAPPY.

SUMMER SOLSTICE -- LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR
MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2016