Talk of the Town: The sunny side of the street

When I’m feeling blue and the price of gas keeps rising, I often think of the 1930s tune below. It brings a smile to my face and all is well again:

“Grab your coat and get your hat, leave your worry at the doorstep

Just direct your feet to the sunny side of the street

Can’t you hear that pitter pat and that happy tune is your step

Life can be so sweet on the sunny side of the street

I used to walk in the shade with those blues on parade

But I’m not afraid ’cause this rover, crossed over

If I never had a cent I’ll be as rich as Rockefeller

Gold dust at my feet on the sunny side of the street.”

Composed by Jimmy McHugh, with lyrics by Dorothy Fields, “On the Sunny Side of the Street” cheers me up. Other musicians feel the same. It’s been played, usually as an instrumental, by such greats as Dave Brubeck, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Errol Garner, Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie.

Frankie Laine had a hit with his recording, and the song also was recorded by other leading vocalists, including Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra.

I try to be an optimist in the face of adversity.

According to the experts at WebMD, pessimists habitually explain events in their lives in a way that makes them seem dire. They tend to blame themselves, while assuming that whatever went wrong will stay wrong — and bring everything else down with it.

Optimists, on the other hand, seem to approach life in a way that pays off. They’re more resilient in the face of disaster or tragedy and are happier with their lives in general. But it’s not all in their heads. They are generally healthier, have stronger hearts, and tend to live longer. They’re even more resistant to colds.

One reason is because optimists learn to cope well and make connections with others who help and support, says Barbara Fredrickson, head of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Lab at the University of North Carolina.

“You’re better equipped to deal with the difficulties in life because, in the good moments, you’ve accrued more skills and resources,” she explains.

How the brain functions seems to play a role, too. Enthusiastic people have more activity in the left prefrontal lobes of their brains, while those with more active right prefrontal lobes tend to get stuck in negative emotions.

WebMD researchers say that our brains are not hard wired for optimism or pessimism, so you can learn to accentuate the positive. Here’s how:

Learn to meditate. An eight-week program of daily mindfulness meditation — trying to stay in the moment without distracting thoughts — increased activation of the left prefrontal lobe in study subjects.

Think in threes. Approximately three positive moments are needed to counteract one negative one, according to Fredrickson. So volunteer, listen to music you like, or pet a puppy.

Write it down. Martin Seligman, the psychologist who authored the book "Authentic Happiness," suggests you create a journal. Every night, write down three good things that happened that day — and include an explanation for why each happened.

Fitness enthusiasts who work out at Body Start Health and Fitness at 1660 W. Commerce Pointe Place in Sahuarita are likely to know Ch/ Thompson, personal trainer and co-owner of the fitness center with his father, Chuck Thompson.

As it so happens, Ch/ and his wife Katie have quite a remarkable daughter, Kalle Smith, 14, an eighth-grader attending Sahuarita Middle School.

I had the great privilege of interviewing Kalle recently, and it just goes to prove (contrary to some bad press you often read about kids) that there are terrific hard-working young people in school today.

Not only is Kalle president of the National Junior Honor Society at SMS, she is also on the soccer team, playing mid-field and enjoying every minute of competition, she says.

Playing soccer since the fourth grade, Kalle says she started the sport because she thought it “looked fun.” She also plays for the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO).

A basketball fan and player, she is a guard for her team, the Sahuarita Jaguars.

Kalle is a track participant as well, and runs the 400 meter.

When she gets to high school next year, Kalle says that she will make the decision to either play soccer or basketball, but is still undecided.

Kalle likes school “very much” and math is her favorite subject. When she finishes her education and after college, she says, she just may want to pursue something in the field of law.

She is proud of her brother Ryan, 9, and they both enjoy their pets—two cats, Fleagy and Pel/ (named after the famous soccer player) and a dog named Rascal, a mixed breed, and lots of fish.

Kalle encourages everyone to play sports, even if it’s “just for fun.

rford@gvnews.com | 547-9740