By Deems Tsutakawa,
Whenever I park my car and lock it up with the key fob, it puts a smile on my face. The original definition of fob is a small pocket near the waistline of your trousers for your watch, keys, or loose change. These days, we all think of the fob simply for use on our remote devices that open and close garage doors, car ignitions, and various other electronic items. When we were first driving back in the day one had to manually push or pull each door lock one at a time to secure the vehicle from potential break ins. It is just so convenient to walk away from your automobile and touch the fob. We can even simply look out the window at night and lock the car from the house. For some reason, even though we’ve had the fobs for decades, it still makes me smile.
While driving through town, making a green light seems to put a smile on too. I like seeing dogs, happy children, cool fashions, live music, good foods, and sunny days as well. Certain aromas are very scintillating such as garlic in hot oil, fresh baked cookies with vanilla extract, and BBQ. You’ve probably noticed that I like to smile.
One of my high school teachers, I believe she taught language arts and her name was Ms. Tribble, told me that her philosophy of life is that it is the little things in our daily life that are most important and give our lives meaning. She loved people that are kind, storytelling, a well-made sandwich, or a catchy poem. If the song entitled “My Favorite Things” were rewritten today, it might have some new things to consider. I also love to watch sports on TV, program the DVR for shows to be seen later, and use my cell phone for a multitude of things. If we have our health, food on the table, and a few friends to laugh with then it seems that living mindfully and appreciating the simple things should put that smile on each and every day.
Deems Tsutakawa is a local Sansei musician. He can be reached at deemst@deemsmusic.com.
