Habits of Happiness

I wanted to write about the happy drinking bird and how it relates to one of my habits of happiness – walking quickly. Unfortunately, I discovered that the happy drinking bird is not a perpetual motion toy, although, I am reassured, this is a common misperception.

The happy drinking bird is a heat engine toy. So, my analogy is gone and I’m not sure how to cope as my need to walk quickly is indeed a tool to keep me from getting bummed. I don’t know why, but it is. I’ve always used a visualization of the happy drinking bird to make this correlation between the energy of walking and the perpetuating of happiness not seem so disconnected.

This is a perpetual motion toy but visualizing it does not make me happy. Frankly, it puts me on edge. So the circuit is no longer complete. My action may still equal proper emotional response but I no longer have a visual in my head to rationalize it. Yes, ignorance was bliss.

I’m not sure if this is the case now, but in the 80’s the perpetual motion stress toy was a popular gift for your busy executive. It’s a gift for the one who has everything because why would an object of so little use be purchased by such a high achiever? One does not get to the level of having an office with a desk that would compliment a sleek, metal and cherry-stained perpetual motion machine by engaging in ridiculous compulsions like spending money on a sleek, metal and cherry-stained perpetual motion machine. Or at least that is the mindset of one trapped in a beige cube where a happy drinking bird would not only cheer me up but look quite at home and furthermore remind me of why I do not schlep.