From time to time, I like to take a survey of the thoughts of my peers. Nothing earth shattering, just daily stuff.

Once I asked my friends (and a few acquaintances) what they carried in their pockets or purses. Got some interesting answers.

One guy carried a smooth rock; called it his worry stone. It gave him comfort to rub the smoothness of it if he was worried or anxious. And I found several ladies lugging around stuff in their purses that their husbands might need (like medicines and glasses and flashlights). Interesting, huh?Well, this time I asked people, “What do you think makes you the most happy now?”

One guy said being able to read the newspaper completely before he had to get dressed in the morning. Another guy said his garden had become extremely important. Yet another said he liked being able to have wine with his lunch and knowing he wouldn’t have to drive or see clients in the afternoon.

Most of the answers I got were predictable, like spending time with grandkids, and a retiree said “not having to leave the house every morning no matter what the weather,” but I did get a couple of not-so-expected responses: A woman told me she was happy not having to talk to anyone until afternoon, or for that matter all day if she didn’t want to (personally, this would be a punishment for me, so I’m not sure I understand her joy very well). A man I always thought of as a kind soul told me he loved watching a fat guy at the gym struggle with weights and, even after a year, never seeming to lose a pound. He laughed as he told me this. Hmmm.

A couple of responses to my “What makes you happy now” question were sweet too. A lady I used to commute with to Seattle retired in 2002. Now she has a part-time job working for a veterinarian, helping deliver puppy litters. She says she gets such pleasure seeing those little squirming bodies come into the world.

A guy I asked said he’d forgotten how much he likes fishing with worms, and the feel of the worms in the palm of his hand. Probably a memory from his childhood.

So now my questions to you is “What makes you happy now?” If you haven’t pondered this for a while, maybe it’s time you did.

Get a warm cup of tea, sit down in your favorite chair and think. Is it that cute little dog you can cuddle and talk to when no one else is handy? Is it the fact that you are comfortable in your snug little nest of a home? Is it your improving health situation? Or is it like my spouse says, he’s just happy to wake up every morning?

Whatever it is, you do know that happiness is decided in your mind first, so make the decision and have a happy life.

Here’s a list of May activities, at the Hansville Community Center or as noted.
— May 4: Art Guild Fashion Show.
— May 11: Flotsam & Jetsam Garden Sale.
— May 15: Neighbors’ Luncheon.
— May 18: Rummage Drop Off.
— May 26: Memorial Day Service at Hansville Cemetery.
— May 28: Social Hour.

— Contact author and columnist Donna Lee Anderson at welltoldtales@aol.com