“They”* say that it isn’t what you have, where you are, or what you’ve been through that makes you happy or unhappy, it’s how you think about it all. Or, put another way, it is not what happens to you, but how you respond to what happens to you that determines your happiness and satisfaction.

It was thoughts about this concept that inspired this painting. Mother Nature has chosen to see the onrushing winter as an opportunity to jazz up the landscape with some colorful foliage and a sky tinged with color from the rising sun, while a farmer has chosen to deal with his aging barn by giving it a fresh coat of paint.

* NOTE: Who “They” are is a mystery to most, but I think I have it figured out. In the English language, “They” is just a form of “Them”. From my misspent youth watching monster movies on TV, I know that “Them” are, in fact, giant mutated ants.

Don't believe me? Here is the proof.

Therefore, “They” are giant mutated ants. The proof is in the math. If X = Y, and Y = Z, then X = Z, or; if “They” = “Them” and “Them” = giant mutated ants, then “They” = giant mutated ants. It is basic algebra, that is why they teach you this stuff in school.

So, I am not sure we should put much stock in what “They” say...

Painting and text © 2015 James Golaszewski