Happiness is often a matter of perspective. If we view things as being terrible, it becomes very likely for the outcome to be just that. Terrible. On the other end of the spectrum, if we look for the silver lining, we can often make the best of a situation and come out happy. This doesn’t mean that we should always set our expectations so high that we’re bound to be disappointed, it just means maybe we should have a little faith next time things are going south that they can get better, or that we should try to look for a little good in the situation. So, in today’s episode, we have stories about finding gold, sometimes figuratively, sometimes literally. These characters are surrounded by good and bad and each has a unique way of seeing the situation. 

On today’s episode, enjoy the following:

“Tex Buys a Dream” by Laura K. Deal from The Diffendaffer Taffy Cafe (10:12)

How crazy would it be if someone asked to buy your dream? How would that even work? Well this story may have the answer for you. The teller, Laura Deal, has always loved stories. She grew up listening to and reading anything and everything. She says that her favorite genre of story is fantasy, and that shines through in this story, where spectacular things happen. A young man trying to make his way in the world decides to buy a dream, and though some call him crazy and others are out to see him look like a fool, he learns that it can pay to follow your instincts.

“Looking for His Luck” by Dolores Hydock from Once in a Blue Moon (12:05)

It has been said of Dolores Hydock that "\[she] talks with her hands. And her elbows. And her shoulders. When she speaks, she is literally irrepressible." Unfortunately we don’t get to see her talking with her hands and elbows, but just listening to her stories is an experience worth living. In this one, a man is convinced that he has worse luck than anyone else he knows. So he goes on a journey to find what has happened to his luck. Along the way there are lots of opportunities, which he doesn’t take because he’s too busy looking for his luck.

“Don’t Look Up” by Milbre Burch from Because I Said So: Stories About Mothers and Kids (14:51)

Isn’t it great when things go your way? Everything works out and life is good. But how often does that actually happen? For some, very rarely. For some, it hardly seems to happen at all. Grammy nominated spoken word recording artist Milbre Burch has a story of just such a person. A girl who tried her best to help her family, but had to leave because there wasn’t enough food for her and the rest of the children. A girl who couldn’t find work for a long time. But this girl was still considerate. She reached out to those that were in need of help, and for that she was rewarded.

“A Farmer’s Horse Ran Off” by Heather Forest from The Eye of the Beholder (5:52)

Our next teller, Heather Forest, knows what she is doing when it comes to stories. She has a Master’s Degree in storytelling and has been performing for thirty years. This tale of hers goes to illustrate the good and bad that can come from any situation, regardless of how it seems. In it, a farmer experiences a series of events, each having good and bad consequences. The farmer, a sage man, has one thing to say each time: “I don’t know if it’s good or it’s bad.”