100 Days of Gladness, Day 1

Shifting my gaze from grousing to gratitude.

Photo by author with enhancement by some app or other. I have no idea.

I’m tired of complaining.
Tired of reciting the liturgy of angst, as my thumb
swipes its way — bead by bead by bead — through the images,
a digital mala that chants, “Like and Subscribe! You’ll feel better!”

I never feel better. It’s just nose candy only for the eyes.
Doesn’t last, and I only want more, so I keep scrolling.
I hurt, my head aches, I’m exhausted, my back is sore,
and I can’t stop. I can’t. Next. Next. Next. Next.

Sometimes I get a chuckle out of it.
Or something sweet that I send on to my wife’s phone.

But Enough. Today, it begins. 100 Days of Gladness.
Why 100? I say, why not?

Here are my entries for today, Sunday, November 26th, 2023:

• Got an inkling of how much I love my own family. For real. For no reason. That’s rare. Usually I’m mumbling dissatisfaction about squeaky doors, and dropping the stuff I was carrying, and having to wait so long for a download. But in the middle of all that, I got it that none of that is of any consequence whatsoever — next to the fat blessing…