For a world in turmoil, California Happiness Committee is here to cheer you up
Yolo County is one happy place, Lake County needs to get the giggles
Back in late September, completely by accident, I learned that the California Legislature had formed a "Select Committee on Happiness" that, presumably, would report its findings to the general public and instantly make us all happy. At least those of us lucky enough to live in the Golden State.
As I understand it, some naysayers in the Legislature were unhappy about the Happiness Committee, proving once again that there's a killjoy in every crowd.
Because the very existence of such a committee made my heart leap with joy, I wanted to immediately share its findings with anyone within the sound of my typewriter. After all, it's common knowledge that happiness begets happiness.
For those who missed my musings at the time, I'll provide a little refresher here and then report on this committee's dramatic conclusions that should have every Californian grinning from ear to ear.
The committee's report stretches to 29 pages, but when I wrapped things up back in September, I had only been through the first eight pages and asked folks to please "stay tuned - more happiness is on the way."
As I noted then, I've always thought that the choice of the words "Pursuit of Happiness" was a bit odd for such an esteemed and high-sounding document as the Declaration of Independence, meaning that they were chosen over such noble words and phrases as "Justice" and "Freedom" and "Free Beer."
In fact, my all-time favorite sign is one that adorns the front door of a small tavern in Brookings, Oregon that says simply "Free Beer Tomorrow."
That one brings a smile to my face every time I see it. In fact, I should probably report that sign to the Select Committee on Happiness so they can all smile too.
"The Select Committee on Happiness and Public Policy Outcomes is the first committee focused exclusively on happiness in the nation," the report boldly claims without explaining if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
"Happy people are more likely to vote in elections," it notes.
This is apparently true even if the outcome sometimes makes them unhappy.
"They are more likely to join clubs, more open to trusting others, more willing to donate money to charity and even more likely to donate blood."
Stop right there. The thought of donating blood does not in any way make me happy.
Lucky us, because this report was prepared right here in California, the committee did the hard work of determining the rate of happiness in every one of our state's 58 counties.