17 may 11 happy commuter

I'm reading Geography of Bliss by NPR reporter Eric Wiener. He wanted to take a hiatus from reporting on conflict and despair to write about happiness and, hopefully, to find the happiest places on the planet. He started at the World Database of Happiness in Rotterdam. There he learned many correlations about humans and happiness. One is that people tend to be unhappier when they commute.

When I read that last night, I thought "not if they're on a bike." This morning I proved myself right. Not smiling was difficult while sharing the paths with moose and rabbits and listening to songbirds singing loudly to find this year's mate. Most of the other commuters on the trails were smiling, too, and responded warmly to my "good morning" greeting. The buds on the trees and shrubs were just about to open.

I found my little geography of happiness right here in Anchortown on the way to work.