There are a lot of bad things happening in the world. We all face challenges every day and we all have things to be afraid off. The world has been lacking the love. I know I can't do anything about it at all but maybe I can spread a little joy in your life today. Even if I make you smile for a moment, that's just one more moment of happiness that we need in the world. Things I love. Things we love. Things that make us smile.

First, I was driving down a street just after having a bad day at work and in desperate need of Taco Bell to stuff my fat bearded face and then speed off to rehearsal. At a stop light I see a man and a woman in a white car. The man is jamming out and trying to get his girlfriend into it too. So I raise my fist and start jamming with the man, that was enough to make them both laugh. Eventually I see the girl join in as they turn down a street. I couldn't help but smile and think "I had no idea who those people were but I just made them enjoy life a little more." I may be giving myself too much credit for what it's worth but it just made my day way better knowing that I made someone's day better. It's like an inception of joy in lives.

Second, I have this friend who is in the Air Force now. A lot of people know this guy and they love him. I've never heard one bad thing about him and I am so insanely proud and lucky to call him one of my best friends. The nights where I would hang out with him would consist of two very important things. Sonic and pop punk. Jumping around to Ozma, Modern Baseball, The Front Bottoms, and many more would make for a great night of laughs and headaches in the morning. He made me realize what a wonder it can be to meet new people and how to be more like myself and not like someone else.

Third, you people reading this. It shows that you really do care about what I have to say. My articles aren't all open letters and typed poorly but I still put myself out there and some people lack that in their writing or creativity. Be yourself. We will love you.

Fourth, bad jokes. An otter walks into a bar. The bartender says "Hey, why the long face?" The otter continues to be silent. The bartender asks him what he'll have. Still, the otter is silent. Then, the bartender suddenly realizes. "Holy shit. There's an otter in my bar."

Fifth, this is not normal. We are not normal. I am not normal. And after a long day of working with kids, homework, and rehearsal I begin to feel more normal than ever. I begin to feel stressed and nervous and scared. But that's what makes me feel more alive than anything else. You should use that stress and nervousness and put it into some positive energy. It is your choice to enjoy life. It is your choice to be happy. It is your choice to be who you want to be.

And if this doesn't make any sense, then I guess I'm just being my normal self.