If you're happy and you know it, write a blogpost

When your parents name you Joy, you are imbued with a powerful emotion.  You're one of those few words that falls into the fourth definition of noun -- person, place, thing, or IDEA.  You're the very ideal idea that people strive for.  Every report card states, "Joy is a joy to have in class."  Every professional you meet initially wants to work with you to have that sense of contentment on a given project.  Every guy you date anticipates bliss from the outset.  How can you have down days when you're the very definition of happiness?

Well, gentle readers, shocking though it may be, even gals named "Joy" have down seasons.  September through January were pretty tough on me.  I have no desire to vent all my grievances on the worldwide web or be a Debbie Downer, but I've had a few queries about where I've been so I wanted to share.

That Ain't Me

To roll on through this (yep, I'm quoting "Alabama"), I'll make this quick:

• I don't like when friends are sad.
• I don't like when friends are sick.
• I don't like when mothers are sick.
• I don't like when dogs lose their hearing.
• I don't like when jobs pass over people for promotions.
• I don't like when my country doesn't have standardized healthcare.
• I don't like when bigots hurt people I love.
• I don't like when I can't run to defend against said bigots
• I don't like when my physical limitations... well, limit me.
• I don't like when break ups occur (even when they're necessary).

So there's my season of down in a bulleted list o'ten.  Also I started a new job, signed up for Mark Fisher Fitness Snatched (watch out for updates on this), and got a sweet new tattoo (complete with Eagle #2).  None of those were downers... just wanted to throw them out there!!

In the end I love my name.  I love that it's hard to be sad for long when people are shouting synonyms for happiness at you all the day long.  Why I think people are shouting at me is a whole other issue...

"Joy comes from that connection to others."

That's a line from the documentary "Happy".  I dig it.  Thanks for connecting with me, gentle readers.