Depression seems to be a common theme amongst my plethora of (unstable) friends. Inevitably I know someone who is going through a rough patch either because they aren’t on meds, they forgot to take their meds, or they ran out of their meds. Yours truly is no exception to this rule, and I regularly deal with the unfortunate affliction that is depression. Today I was reminded of a song by New Buffalo. “Cheer Me Up Thank You” is a good poppy tune that puts me in a lighthearted mood, but it got me thinking about the things that are able to physically and psychologically cheer me up:
- “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey – Tonight I was fiddling around online with the tv serving as background noise and Scrubs was on. My attention was not at all on the show until the very end. In this particular episode the song playing as the cast was learning their life lessons was Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” and I immediately smiled, stopped what I was doing, and watched until the song went off. I don’t know what it is about that song, but every time I hear it I am overcome with a feeling of euphoria, and no that isn’t an exaggeration. Most likely it’s because of the good memories I have associated with the song. From singing it with Josh and Liz on a random grocery store trip, to having it be the first song I ever sang Karaoke to there have been lots of good times when that song has been playing.
- New Sweaters – Fall is my favorite season by far because of college football and because I get to wear my sweaters. My enjoyment is based on no rational thought other than I like the way I look in them, and I have more than 20 nice sweaters. Some are cashmere, some are lamb’s wool, and others are plain old cotton, but I love all of them. Whenever I get a new sweater I tend to forget that I have any cares in the world, and I immediately plan when I will wear it for the first time. Thinking about it makes me want to go and put one on right now.
- Letters – Who doesn’t like getting a personalized hand written letter? I actually like getting any mail that isn’t a bill. To a lesser degree I feel the same way about personal emails. I have a friend who regularly writes me emails and most days those are what I look forward to the most. Seeing that I have a few words that this person chose just for me makes me feel great.
- Sports Bars – When I first moved to California I was in utter disbelief when I was told there was no sports bar in the town where I was living. Sports have always been an integral part of my life since a very young age, and as I got older sports bars became my favorite places to hang out. They have beer specials, trivia, bar food, and sports memorabilia. What’s not to love? Especially if there are cute waitresses. Now I am not talking Hooters waitresses because, as I have stated before, flirting with me to try and get my money doesn’t sit very well with me. I mean the waitress at the bar you go to every week who actually carries on an intelligent conversation with you. Smart women are total babes especially if they like sports.
- Seeing certain people smile – Some people have smiles that can light up rooms. I like having those people around especially if I am be the reason that they are doing the smiling. Same goes for people with contagious laughs.
List 5 things that never fail to cheer you up.
List 5 
September 23, 2008 at 9:23 am
1.) UK Basketball or Football – I’m immediately in a better mood if I get to watch a game. Especially if we win. If I’m a five on a scale of one to ten, then I immediately become a seven if we play. Then I go up to about a 10 if we win. It’s just a lot of fun for me to watch and be a part of!
2.) My Girlfriend – Sometimes I’m in a not so great mood after coming home from an awful day at work. But she’ll usually do or say something that will crack me up and make me forget the hell that is my 9-6 job. Really though, it’s just her presence. I love being with her and that’s what really makes me happy.
3.) Talking to my sister – Few people on this earth are custom built to put me in a better mood than my baby sis. She’s like my kid, basically. I’m constantly laughing at her and with her because she’s just like me, except female. It’s kind of creepy, to be honest, but sometimes I like creepiness… 😉
4.) Hearing good news – I have a lot of friends and they are scattered all over the place. What I love most is hearing good news from these folks. My best friend told me a couple months ago that he and his wife are expecting their second son this year. I was excited like it was my own child. But I just love seeing my friends happy.
5.) Accomplishing a Goal – I don’t set a lot of major goals. Mostly it’s just “make it to 1045 break”, “make it to 1 pm lunch”, “make it to 345 break”, “make it home at 6.” But when I set a big goal for myself and accomplish it, it feels good. When I finished my book, I was thrilled. While it wasn’t a big deal to anybody else, it was really cool to me to actually have my own stuff printed.
September 23, 2008 at 9:58 am
1) My son’s smile when I come home from work each morning. No matter how icky a night it was, it all goes away the second I see him.
2) Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” — in addition to being a kickin’ song… it reminds me of this TLC (or Discovery, or something) special on a guy in England with a horrible disease… it was his favorite song. And despite being seriously ill — he was insanely funny and a positive fellow (he even had the Heinz bean can logo burned onto his coffin, just to make people wonder). So every time I hear that song, I think of him.
3) German Shepherds, because they remind me of the best dog EVER!
4) Being with my family, because we understand each other so well, without even having to say it.
5) Johnny D whispering while his Da is sleeping.
September 23, 2008 at 10:00 am
Ohh, this is a good topic for a List!!! 😉 Let’s see…
1) My cat — aside from myself and some plants, she’s the only other living thing in my house, and she’s pretty much awesome. I come in the door and immediately hear the “thump!” of her jumping down out of her window seat, and she meets me in the kitchen. When she’s in a really good mood, she’ll race through the house and “pat down” doorframes. When she’s tired, she’ll sit on the couch with her arms up on the armrest. She watches Animal Planet, and loves it when I drag her toys underneath the edge of a blanket. Silly and sweet, I love my Miss Kitty!
2) Horses — I don’t care how bad a day I’ve had, but if I can go horseback riding I can forget about it. Walking up to a barn and taking in the hay, leather and horse smells. Private and small barns are generally pretty quiet, and horses are such peaceful souls. The act of grooming and tacking up is akin to meditation, only you focus on the horse and not yourself. I always feel very centered when I’ve come back to the barn after a good ride.
3) A well-timed phone call from a friend — Was frustrated just last night, and I got a text from a friend in Kentucky, “Hey honey bunny, you around to talk?” I wrote her back immediately, “Yes!” and then proceeded to have a wonderful phone conversation where we caught up, bitched a little, laughed a lot, and shared fun and interesting tid bits of info. When we got off the phone, I couldn’t remember why the evening had seemed so gloomy before…
4) Silly, fun or old songs — ones that remind you of something else or that are impossible to listen to without singing along. A personal favorite for me is “Build Me Up Buttercup” — I simply cannot hear it and not burst out into my own version, no matter where I am.
5) Catelyn — my friend’s almost two-year-old daughter. I have never been one to really *like* children, but I guess I’ve found something of a kindred soul in Catelyn… The minute I see her, I break out into a huge smile and can’t wait to say hello. She’s just started being able to say my name, and she’s been on the receiving end of several knitting projects of mine. She’s the sweetest little girl, and I find it completely impossible to be in a bad mood when she’s in the room.
September 23, 2008 at 11:37 am
1. Anything related to FALL cheers me up in a heartbeat. The scents of pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves… the smell of the brisk cool air in the morning in the beginning of fall. Starbuck’s Pumpkin Spice Latte…. Williams-Sonoma’s Pumpkin Quick Bread smothered with their Pumpkin Pecan Butter!!! College football (though I generally work on Saturdays and rarely get to go to a game or even watch)… the sound of leaves crunching… the colors! Oh… not to mention that it’s harvest season… fruits and vegetables purchased fresh from the farmer’s market are delicious! Did I mention that I love fall?
2. The song “DO YOU LOVE ME” by The Contours. I can be in the crappiest of moods and then hear this song and BAM! I wanna dance and sing and it makes me so elated! It is probably a nostalgia thing… I loved the movie Dirty Dancing as a child (still do, actually) and this song is in that movie. Regardless, anyone wanna Mashed Potato?
3. PEDICURES. I work in retail and I am on my feet… most of the time in some pointy toed sassy heels… 40+ hours a week. I’ve done this so long that it certainly isn’t that my feet hurt after the end of a day or the end of a week. But it makes me enjoy it THAT much more when I treat myself to a pedicure. I love having my feet and legs massaged, and the feeling of pretty toes and feet makes me happy! I will do without many things in my life… but I can’t do without my bi-weekly pedis!
4. CORRESPONDENCE is one of those things that I agree with Roach on. I love getting real cards or letters from a friend of loved one. Just a small gesture to let me know that they care enough to take time out of their busy day to think of me. It’s a warm and fuzzy that always makes me more than a little giddy. Though I must admit that I SUCK at correspondence. I should work on this….
5. CHILDHOOD INNOCENCE can always manage to life my spirits. My daughter does and says some of the cutest and sweetest things sometimes… and it always makes me happy because I know that it is 100% honest and innocent. There’s no motive, there’s no selfishness… just the pure love of a child. Sometimes if she knows that I am having a bad day, she will rub my arm gently and say “I love you, mommy”. This can turn my frown upside down in an instant. Or when she gives insights on life from her 6 year old perspective… it always helps me remember that as big as life can seem and as big as my troubles appear, it’s the small things in life that really truly matter.
September 23, 2008 at 11:41 am
In #5, “life” means “lift”. I feel the need to correct myself before I get an email from Roach about this… only because of my previous post regarding judging people who can no spell. Typos don’t count, yo 😉
September 23, 2008 at 1:26 pm
1) U2’s “Beautiful Day”. By far my favorite song on earth!
2) A phone call from my brother. They are so few and far between that when they happen I know it’s cause he has something cool or funny to tell me.
3) Hugs. They seem to always come about when I need them most.
4) My best friend Amanda. She lives a couple of hours away so when I see her, talk to her or get a text it automatically makes me happy.
5) Sunny, fall days. It’s impossible to be unhappy when there is no humidity and the weather is perfect! And it’s college football season!
September 25, 2008 at 11:14 am
1. People Having Accidents – Nothing makes me smile more than watching someone walk into a pole, slip and bust their tail, accidental hit to the crouch, etc. Now I’m not wishing harm on people but I nice little fall with everyone being okay is pretty awesome. It’s especially fun when it happens to news people trying to be cool. These videos makes me smile almost to the point of tears.
Grape Lady footage -This is what happens when you get cocky during a grape stomping competition. The best response is after the fall by the in studio morning show hosts.
Bird Poop Eater – Dummy, don’t look up during a bird infestation
I’ll add 2 – 5 later. Have fun with these in the mean time.
September 25, 2008 at 5:26 pm
1. (Continued)
Nothing like a top Cock – I feel for her. But it’s still funny.
Block Party is nothing like Blow Job – Poor Shep
Newsman vs Lizard – Lizard Wins
We’ve all had this feeling before –
2. Seeing my child be nice to someone – My little one is a pretty loving child and pretty much knows no stranger. It’s still pretty cool to have him be nice and considerate to others. One it makes you feel like you’ve done a half way decent job raising him and two it’s good to see him grow up.
3. Watching UT, Notre Dame, and Auburn lose – This always brings a nice smile (smirk) to my face.
September 26, 2008 at 9:59 pm
4. Arrested Development Chicken Dance – Sorry but this is the best. Has anyone in this family ever seen a chicken?
5. Flatulence – Try not to smile and laugh when you hear one.
September 28, 2008 at 12:29 am
1) Alabama winning a football game.
2) Losses by Auburn, UT, and Notre Dame (this is why billy and I are friends).
3) Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls
4) The smell of hickory and pork
5) A compliment, I’m a sucker for positive reinforcement.
So with the statement, “Mike, we won and the three evil teams lost and your ribs sure smell good, and, oh, here’s a Swiss Cake Roll”, I will pretty much become your euphoric personal slave.
September 28, 2008 at 1:41 pm
1. Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May” – full blast, driving with the windows down, singing at the top of my lungs…. until I have to stop at a red light.
2. Hearing my hubby tell me he loves me before I tell him.
3. Sorry if this is TMI, but it’s not meant to be inappropriate – I love buying new panties. All kinds, all colors, all styles. I just like new ones. I’m trying to find some that have the days of the week on the butt like I had when I was a kid.
4. It’s Peanut Butter Jelly Time!!
5. A Christmas ornament with a picture of my sister and me, circa 1983. A few years ago my parents moved into a new house; long story short: Contractor tried to cut costs, the foundation leaked in the basement of the brand new house, and every single Christmas decoration and ornament – even the tree – everything was ruined with mold by the time we discovered it all. All the cool clothespin reindeers, the paper stars with glitter and yarn, the popsicle stick Christmas trees (colored purple, of course – not green)… they were all thrown away, except for this one ornament with mine and my sister’s picture. I love seeing that ornament every year because it reminds me of a such a simpler time. And my sister has these awesome 80s coke-bottle glasses on 🙂
October 8, 2008 at 4:27 pm
1) Gardening – I’m limited to container plants currently since I’m in an apartment, but the act of potting/repotting, watering, trimming, just being outside and zoning out from whatever downer thoughts were going through my mind helps lift my mood.
2) Baking/cook – It’s right there with gardening. It allows me to turn my attention to something other than negative thoughts. And in the end there is tasty goodness made by my own hands, you have to love that!
3) Libraries/Book Stores – There is something about being surrounded by books that relaxes me. I would love to have a room in my someday house that is nothing but wall to wall books.
4) Retail Therapy – it works.
5) My friends – whether it’s seeing them in person, talking to them on the phone, or emailing with them. Almost always they can lift me out of my funk or at least let me vent enough that I feel better about whatever it was that set me off.