This is my hood.

I bet if many of us were to do a quick survey of our friends we’d discover that most of us were taught the same childhood songs. Itsy Bitsy Spider. You are my Sunshine. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and so on. I even remember this: “I’m Hen-er-y the 8^th I am, Hen-er-y the 8^th I am I am.” Wait a minute. That may not have been pre-school. For some reason I’m visualizing a drunk dude with a Cockney accent belting out that song. Uh maybe scratch that last example, but one tune I clearly remember my teachers taught us was that old stand-by, “if you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.” I think our teachers had us clap twice after each line then they would switch it up and we would stomp after each line. If you’re happy and you know it stomp your feet: stomp, stomp.

Until it reached a saturation point and became annoying, that song truly could make me feel happier. Today it reminds me of something a little sad: Stompin’ Tom Connors. His death brought back some classic Canadian childhood memories: the Tommy Hunter Show, feeling proud and impressed that Anne Murray was Elvis’ favourite singer, that game show Definition. Uh maybe scratch that last example; that little gem just popped into my head but some of you may not be at all aware of that classic Canadian game show and even if you are it may not quite fit here. Anyway, despite the loss of a Canadian icon, I still feel a little happy thinking about Stompin’ Tom and that piece of plywood he would drag from performance to performance.  

But what if you’re not happy? What then? Clap your hands? It might help for a while. Stomp your feet? It might help for a while too. But speaking of Canadians, there’s always one solution for unhappiness....

A wiener roast. With your friends. In the backyard. In the snow. In the library with a candle-stick. It doesn’t much matter where. (I respectfully suggest that wieners may be optional.)

You know I’m right. What are you waiting for?