The other day hubby and one of our offspring returned from hauling wood and asked what the Cajun phrase was for “Let the good times roll.”  After responding it was Lassaiz le bon temps rouler, I inquired why they wanted to know.

They’d had a discussion that if you yell Timber when a tree is about to fall, what would you yell if a log was about to roll over you (I do have a family that tries to be prepared)?  Rolling seemed straightforward enough, but of course they couldn’t leave well enough alone and also came up with Let the good times roll.

Now that’s what I call being optimistic.

That got me to thinking about people who try to make a living at something they enjoy, but the element of work still encroaches on such endeavors (no, you don’t want to know how my mind works).  I’m listening to music as I write this, and shortly will track down a picture to include with the post (yes, you’ve just experienced a ripple in the space-time continuum).

Writing, music, art … some would claim these activities aren’t as necessary as slaying an animal and dragging it back to the cave for consumption (I’m going way back in our history, folks).  But those activities also help to elevate existing to living.

You can just roast that meat over the fire and eat enough to stop your stomach from rumbling.  Or you can add some salt and herbs and experience savory satisfaction that makes you ask for seconds (cooking can be a bit of an art form, too).  While you’re dining, you can add pleasure to the time by telling stories, singing songs, and then paint on the wall a portrait of the critter you ate.

One of our uniquely human traits is appreciating beauty.  The readers, the listeners, and the gazers of the world are enriched by these various art forms.  So while it’s true that trying to produce this stuff can sometimes be a bit of a chore (meeting deadlines, getting the components to jive, etc.), we artsy-fartsy types address one small aspect of helping to make the world a better place.

Yes, sometimes this can feel like work, and the monetary pay often doesn’t seem to match the effort.  But most of us aren’t in it for the money (don’t get me wrong, I do find income useful).  Our greater satisfaction is usually derived from adding some beauty to somebody’s life.

Is that a log rolling this way?  Lassaiz le bon temps rouler…!