Always Look on The Bright Side of Life
By Shannon Cole
When I was a petulant child, my dad often replied in song when I complained to him. As an adult, I try to live according to the advice he would sarcastically serenade me with.
He would sing “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” and whistle with his arms held wide apart at shoulder height, recalling the final scene of surreal comedy troupe Monty Python’s 1979 film “Life of Brian.” The title character Brian is sentenced to death by crucifixion, and a neighbor on a nearby cross, played by the song’s writer Eric Idle, offers a few words of comfort.
“Some things in life are bad / They can really make you mad / Other things just make you swear and curse,” Idle sings.
There are plenty of things to be mad about right now. Sexism and racism are still rampant in a country with enough uniformed voters to make a Donald Trump presidency a mathematical possibility. Guacamole in a burrito is extra. Tuition still isn’t free.
When I’m upset, sad, or just in an extra salty mood, I try to sing “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” to get me out of that funk. I have watched the YouTube video of the final scene of “Life of Brian” more than any other video on that site.
The song is a good reminder that you’re in control of what you allow to affect you and how it affects you. You can choose to be outraged, a little disappointed or not affected at all. How you react to something that upsets you is one hundred percent your own choice.
You can always choose to look for things on the bright side of life: a patch of vibrant flowers, a charming classic car or making someone else smile. If you’re listening to music and walking outside, look around for dogs that trot to the beat. If you’re really lucky, you can meet a friendly dog who will let you pet them. If dogs aren’t your thing, look for cats in windows or birds on wires.
The bright side is there. You just have to look for it. It’s an easy mantra to live by.
“If life seems jolly rotten / There’s something you’ve forgotten / And that’s to laugh and smile and dance and sing / When you’re feeling in the dumps / Don’t be silly, chumps / Just purse your lips and whistle, that’s the thing.”
Always look on the bright side of life. You are given a new opportunity to be happy at every moment, so seize it.
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