Don’t forget to say “thank you” for the little things

Sometimes, it is hard to see the forest through the trees.

Whether you’re a prince or a pauper., born to comfort or born to strife, there is always something to be thankful for.

The 2012 documentary Happy “takes us on a journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the slums of Kolkata in search of what really makes people happy. Combining real-life stories of people from around the world and powerful interviews with the leading scientists in happiness research, HAPPY explores the secrets behind our most valued emotion.”

Happy has stuck with me since I first watched it on Netflix with my wife over a decade ago.

The takeaway message for me was that once basic life-sustaining needs were met, one’s socioeconomic status was not the determining factor in happiness in life.

I took the message from Happy and allowed it to simmer down, and for me, the result is practicing gratitude and appreciation.

This is not meant to minimize the many curveballs that life can throw at someone. This may include outside or inside forces. Call it what you will: karma, God’s plan, good/bad juju, or just plain coincidence.

My reflection in this post is personal and experiential, and maybe you’ve felt the same. If not, there are plenty of other posts on this site that you may find useful, such as How many pots and pans do you really need?

Feel free to stop reading here.

If you want to step back and look a little closer at the forest, then read on.

I live and work in Northern California. I will often drive Interstate 80 to Reno or Lake Tahoe for work and/or play.

Recently, a few friends recommended the book; The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Story of the Donner Party by, Daniel James Brown.

Pick it up here

Brown is the author of another fantastic book that was adapted for film, The Boys in the Boat (another great read). I immediately downloaded it to Audible.

In the few winter weeks while I was enjoying the audiobook of The Indifferent Stars Above, I made several runs out to Reno for work, driving past the Donner pass twice per day.

I’ve made this trip often and spent many summer weekends hiking, fishing, running, and paddling around the picturesque Donner Lake.

This book has forever changed how I feel when I drive by Donner Pass.

Just another day on beautiful Donner Lake

Most people know the gist of the tragic Donner Party. Settlers immigrating to the west—> caught in snowstorm —> turn to cannabalism.

Crazy, right? But there was so much more…

Brown’s book is incredible because he takes you through the hardships of the time, the treachery they faced on the trail, the life-altering decisions they made, and the fragility of life in the 1800s.

The Indifferent Stars Above is non-fiction, well researched, and reads like a novel. You truly feel desperation for the settlers as they make their way towards salvation.

As much as this is a story of the Donner Party, it is a story of California. So many historic figures had their hands in this event. I see their names in the cities I frequent, in the schools our children attend, and in the hospitals that provide us with treatment.

So how does this all relate to gratitude and appreciation?

As I said earlier, this is a personal story. Thanks for hanging with me this far.

If you’ve been a long-time reader of Enough About It, you’ll know that I wrote a 20,000 Mile Review of the Mustang Mach E electric car.

It’s a fun vehicle that most of the time, I absolutely love.

There are moments though, that it gives me great anxiety, specifically in cold weather and traveling uphill (see where this is going?).

Like most people, you have your good days and bad days. One particular day, I was cruising back from a long day of work in Reno.

My Mach E had been drained by the cold weather and uphill miles that had been logged earlier in the day.

I was thin-tempered as I was hoping to make it home in time to catch my kids’ softball game. I’d missed the last one due to a work commitment as well.

Instead, i was looking for another place to stop and charge so I could make it home.

Needless to say, my hide was chapped.

I decided to tune back into my Indifferent Stars Above audio book.

Call it Karma, God’s Plan, Juju or coincidence, but right as I was at wit’s end, going over the Donner Pass, I came across the chapter in the book where the Donner party had to start making some real tough decisions, like: how to survive.

I sat upright and took in the story, trying to imagine how I would handle the situation that they were faced with.

All of my conclusions came to this: I couldn't handle it, and thank goodness I was born into a world and place where the chances of being faced with those challenges are next to zero.

The realization occurred, and I chuckled to myself.

Long day of work….whah!

Show up late to the softball game…whah!

Range anxiety with your electric vehicle...double whah! (this one is especially embarrassing to admit)

What a weenie I had been while driving an all-wheel-drive vehicle with heated seats, sipping coffee out of my vacuum-sealed mug over the same pass that decimated a group of settlers with significantly more fortitude than my wimpy 21st century ass could ever muster.

Point taken. I’ve gone soft. The reality is that most of us have, and it’s not entirely our fault. For the same reason I remind my children to have gratitude for the comforts they have in their lives, I should heed my own advice and do the same.

This isn’t meant to push blame or deny ownership and accountability. Life has gotten easier for all of us with regard to our forefathers from the 1800’s.

That’s a great thing! Think about how incredible the world is today. Think about how incredible it will become in the future!

These are exciting thoughts laced with cautious optimism.

As I ponder the innovations of tomorrow and enjoy the comforts of today, I must remind myself: don’t forget to appreciate the simple things that are right here in front of us. Take a walk, read a book, catch a sunset, hang with you friends and family.

“Until we have begun to go without them, we fail to realize how unnecessary many things are. We've been using them not because we needed them but because we had them.”

-Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Thank you, Seneca. Sometimes I just need a quick drive past Donner Lake to help bring things back into perspective.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1613092/