Don't Worry Be Happy

“IF she had a grain of real sympathy for you she’d listen to what you have to say.”
-Noel Coward (as heard in his play,
BLITHE SPIRIT, An Improbable Farce.

Monday, October 3, 1988PHOTO:  October 3, 1988,
Solo of Ashley M Armijo in mom’s kitchen

Autumn is always an interesting, beautiful and crisp season for transition.   It is as if ‘new beginnings’ are supposed to happen now.  The new school year session has begun and leaves are changing and falling.   I was happy that I had a floating holiday.   It stretched my weekend and I dislike that Blue Monday feeling sometimes.
Unique to the season is my fondness for my niece, Ashley.   She is becoming so much more cooperative by my requests for posing for my photographs.   I loved the one I arranged on my mom’s bed.   Ashley’s hair looked perfect and she seemed so loving and happy next to her baby sister, Holly.
 My brother, John, dropped by and I managed to get a photo of him and his little girls before he ventured off to work.   I took a few more shots of ‘Holly and I’, ‘Mom and Holly’ and ‘Sherri and Holly’.   We didn’t have to worry.   We were happy…that’s what the photos depicted.   Once again a photo is worth one-thousand words if you want it to be.

There’s a song that is being played regularly and I just love it.   It’s by Bobby McFerrin and it’s called DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQUIt’s how I yearn to always live my life.   I don’t want to worry.  I just want to be happy.   It’s as if the song was written for ‘me’.   If every person in the world knew to play this song when things are rough and tough they’d surely feel better.  I never get tired of hearing it.  The lyrics are words to live by:
Here's a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry, be happy
In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, be happy now
Oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Don't worry
Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Be happy
Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Don't worry, be happy

Ain't got no place to lay your head Somebody came and took your bed
Don't worry, be happy
The landlord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don't worry, be happy
Look at me, I'm happy
Oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-
Don't worry
Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo Be happy
Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Don't worry, be happy

 Give you my phone number
When you worry, call me, I make you happy
Oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Don't worry
Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Be happy
Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Don't worry, be happy
Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style
Ain't got no girl to make you smile
But don't worry, be happy
'Cause when you worry, your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down
So don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, be happy now
Oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Don't worry
Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Be happy
Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Don't worry, be happy
Now there, is this song I wrote I hope you learned it note for note
Like good little children
Don't worry, be happy
Listen to what I say
In your life expect some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy, be happy now
Oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-
Don't worry
Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Be happy
Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Don't worry, be happy
Oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Don't worry
Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Be happy
Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Don't worry, be happy

Tuesday, October 4, 1988 After work today I arranged a visit with Christine Hicks.   She drove over to my house in Alameda.  She’s still dating ‘Jim from the Gym’ and she’s still best-friends with Kelly.   I was curious to get the latest scoop on what was going on with Kelly.   Christine is always good for being a great confidant.    I also like that she enjoys to look through my box of photos (Polaroids). 

She’ll ask, “Who’s this?”  Or she might ask, “Where’s this?”
And then she will laugh hysterically about one of my photos, making us both laugh even harder. 

Christine wouldn’t be ‘Cwissy’ if she didn’t question me about ‘Jim from the Gym’ either.   I gave her as much information as I could; however, she knows him much better than I.   I tried to refrain from asking about Kelly too much.   After all, my game plan was to ‘let go’ and ‘move on’.
I simply said, “I don’t think Kelly has much sympathy for me…she won’t even listen to what I have to say.”
I asked, “Have you seen GORILLAS IN THE MIST?”
Christine gives me a look of terror with her beautiful green eyes.
“It’s not a scary movie!   I loved it.   It stars Sigourney Weaver and she’s the best.  It’s based on a true story about Dian Fossey,  a scientist who studied in Africa.  You have to see it!"

I fell in love with Sigourney while watching “The Year of Living Dangerously”  from back in 1982 (also starring Mel Gibson).   I doubt Christine will go to see GORILLAS IN THE MIST.   Maybe Jim will talk her into going.  It's a fascinating film.

I set the timer of my Polaroid and took a photo of the two of us on my living room floor.   I was feeling a tinge of attraction towards her.   She’s really so much fun.   She asks a zillion questions but I love answering them.   She asks about ‘me’.   She makes me think about what’s next for ‘me’.   Of course, I asked about her, too.   I think she and Jim have so much fun together.    Wonders never cease as Kelly and I always thought they’d break-up before we did.   They would always bicker.   Jim would give in, then she would give in.   It was a bit like a tug of war.


To LOVE and win is the BEST thing. To LOVE and lose is the next BEST.
…the ability to forgive allows LIFE to be free.
--BETRAYAL of Love and Freedom, a novel by
Paul Huljich
(Based on a little truth)