I know that exercise is one of the most reliable happiness boosters, but I have to admit it’s not my favorite thing. So I always look for exercise that looks like fun.

I have started going to a Zumba class. Dance has always been my favorite form of exercise and this is the latest in the long line of exercise/dance combos for me. While I jumped, bumped, shimmied, swayed, kicked, and struggled to keep up the pace at class last night, I paused to think about what made this class different from others I have taken. Oh, all right, I’ll admit it. I was desperately grasping for any reason to pause.

Music (and lyrics) – The beat seems consistently faster to me than anything I have ever danced to. Is that possible or is it just me? I think some of the lyrics may be in Spanish. The Zumba website says the program features a “fusion of Latin and International music.” But I’m sure I heard the words “Zumba” and “Sexy” a couple of times and a lot of repetitions of “left, right, left, right, left right.” That might help if hadn’t gone quite so fast.

Sexiness factor – The lyrical mention of sexiness is not an idle use of the words, there is quite a bit of shimmying, bumping and hip circling involved in this style of dance. I’m sure when they “fused” the International music, they skipped Ireland entirely. I don’t think anyone of my cultural background could effectively carry off these moves. But we can adapt.

Footwear – My footwear has reached a whole new level. I remember my first ballet slippers. They were white and had a little elastic strap to keep them on my skinny feet. I was four years old, fearless and nimble. They were the first in a long line of ballet shoes that included, pink ones, black ones and finally the coveted pink satin toe shoes that meant I had finally attained the mastery level that allowed me to dance “en pointe.” There have also been tap shoes, jazz shoes and character shoes. In my teens and twenties I could swing, twist, frug, watusi, swim, and mashed potato for hours in stilettos, loafers and anything in between.

Things went downhill in the late ‘70s when I started going to “Aerobic Dance” classes. Sure, I wore sneakers. They were required, but they were white and looked somewhat sporty (we convinced ourselves) when paired with crisp white shorts and a bright t-shirt.

Now I am sad to say that the sneakers have orthotics inside and I can’t kick up the heels of them as high as I used to.

Attire – I’m afraid the leotards and tutus of my early dance career are long gone as are the plaid skirts of the ‘60s and ‘70s. The crisp white shorts have given way to yoga pants and tank tops or t-shirts. I have to admit, Zumba is much more about moving than it is about costume.

Age – I just know I am the oldest person in room at this class. It’s not just my speed and crow’s feet that set me apart in this group. The t-shirts mentioned in the previous paragraph sometimes bear legends such as “I’m the bride” on the young lady who mentions getting ready for the first dance at her reception or “Jeffrey Middle School Cheer Class of 2006.” Oh sure I know that means she has been out of middle school for eight years, but how old can she be? 22? These young girls intimidate me. Their triceps don’t wobble at all.

Visible tattoos – There is just one more factor that sets me squarely in the “oldies” category in this exercise class. I have absolutely no visible tattoos. The truth is I have no tattoos at all, but I am afraid to admit this for fear of shocking the younger women in the class.

Sweat level – Well that’s what started me thinking about all this in the first place. I’ve never sweat this much doing anything before. Did I mention Zumba is estimated to burn 11 calories a minute? That means I can burn almost 700 calories in a one hour class. I think I will keep going. So I feel old, so my feet are going in the wrong direction and I am sweating bullets – old bullets. When it’s over, I’ll have a piece of chocolate cake. Oh, come on! I’ve earned it.

Last week I had the chance to see The Buddy Holly Story at a local theatre. The theatre’s glittery decor of red velvet everything and lots of crystal chandeliers makes every visit festive. The production featured excellent musicians and singers. The only thing that surprised me was the audience.Buddy Holly was the ultimate rocker, right?So his fans were kids, right?So what were all these old geezers doing in the audience?

I started watching American Bandstand when I was 7 years old.I remember running home from second grade to watch Dick Clark and all the cool teenagers celebrating rock and roll! Those were glorious days! For the next 15 years I could do all the new dances and could sing all the words to the top 40 singles. I was in the know. I expected the audience to be made up of all those rocking teenagers.

So why was I the only kid at The Buddy Holly Story?The crowd reminded me of the bunch I saw at the Paul McCartney concert at the UnitedCenter. Gray-haired grandma types and guys with canes and walkers made up seventy-five percent of that audience. It’s a mystery how, this late in the game, the great rockers are finding a new audience among senior citizens. I didn’t see that one coming.

In my ongoing search for ways to bring more happiness into our lives, I have added another tool to the toolbox: You Tube. Here are three ways that You Tube can give you a quick happiness boost.

1. Find your favorite upbeat song and take a dance break. Pete Seger’s Old Time Rock and Roll works for me. What song becomes an irresistible call for you to dance?
2. Singing has been shown in multiple studies to raise our happiness levels. If you need a little help to remember the words or carry the tune, You Tube is the answer. Sing along with the artist of your choice.
3. You Tube can provide an endless supply of laughs. You can find anything from pratfalls to stand-up comedians to my favorite: laughing babies. Click on quads laughing and I’m sure you will find yourself laughing, too.

When you find a few posts on You Tube that make you happy, please write a comment and share it. Making others happy is another sure way to increase your own happiness.

Some people write in their journal in the evening, unwinding and reflecting on their day. I prefer to start my day with my journal using it to make it a great day. Here is how I use my journal to set a positive mood for the day.

I get worries out of my head. “Sufficient unto each day are the worries thereof.” (I know it’s from the Bible, I just can’t remember the book and verse.) Sometimes I wake up anticipating the troubles that might crop up and without my journal I might be off on a day of worry and wheel-spinning. To cut anxiety short, I open my journal and start pouring out all that worry onto the page. My worries are short-circuited. The act of writing down a worry lets my brain knows I am not going to forget about it. There is no need to keep reminding me, no need to dwell on it. What’s more I use my journal to brainstorm possible solutions.

I focus my thinking. I can plan my day on paper. It doesn’t mater if I use my journal to write a To Do list, a shopping list, or just think about how I am going to handle the day’s tasks. My journal gives me a place to think before I jump into my day with both feet.

I write affirmations. To put myself into a positive state of mind, I write affirmations in my journal. I don’t wait for anyone else to say what I need to hear. I know what I need and I write that positive thought five times. As the thought flows from my brain to my hand to the page in front of me, it takes residence in my being.

I daydream on paper. This is one of my favorite ways to use my journal. It is almost like a stream-of-consciousness affirmation. I write about what I would love to be doing – my ideal life. I describe in detail where I would be, what I would be doing, who would be with me. I describe my ideal habits. The more I write about these ideas, the When I daydream about exercising every day, I am reminded that that is possible. I don’t have a personal trainer, but nothing is stopping me from taking the dog for a walk as soon as I finish writing. I picture myself in a warm, sunny place in the winter, and I know that I can’t afford a month in the desert. I can afford a visit to my daughter in Denver which is always warmer than Chicago, and has the added benefit of allowing me to see her and her family.

That’s the way I like to journal. What about you?

Do you have a jar or box or piggybank that you toss your change into at the end of the day? My unscientific survey of random friends finds 117% said yes. When asked if they had a plan for that money, 105% said yes to that, too. When my kids were little I would let the change accumulate for a whole year. Then we would cash it in at the bank and hand over the resulting dollars to the kids for their Christmas shopping.

Here is what my random friends plan to do their saved change:

• 45% for college tuition for kids or grandchildren
• 13% for special change collection at church
• 56% for vacation
• 24% for dream home

Those people have a lot more patience or a lot more change than I do.

• 10% (that would be me) now save for frivolous emergencies.

What is a frivolous emergency you might ask. Obviously not things like paying the mortgage or replacing the brakes on the car you are hoping to coax another year out of. I am talking about the kind of emergency when you just have to have a bunch of daisies to get you through a gloomy day.

My latest emergency was a manicure that wasn’t in the budget. Another time it was a book I noticed during an Artist Date in my favorite bookstore.

What frivolous emergence might you solve with the change in your jar?