The O-town Scene

March 31, 2011

The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY

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Diversity Rules Happy is as happy does We hear a lot about happi- ness and being joyful. We see many forms of happiness all around us _ a smile, laugh- ter. We see it in the gait and posture of happy people. Happy and joyful people seem to have an outward aura about them that attracts people to them. Conversely, there are many unhappy people among us. They never smile, laugh or seem to have a good time anywhere. They tend to move more slowly when they walk, are slumped over a bit and just don’t have a vibrant outward demeanor. Unhappy people most times are avoided like the plague because most do not hesitate to tell you why they are unhappy. In the dark days in my closet, I would always ask myself why I was not happy. I deserved to be happy but it seemed elusive. I got to the point where I just decided happiness was not to be mine and that I would live my life in fear and doubt; always car- rying with me that hole in- side that yearned to be filled with peace and contentment. I resented those that knew true happiness, and won- dered what they were doing differently to have happiness in their lives. After coming out of the closet, I started to reconfig- ure my personal life para- digm. I threw out old ways of thinking, established new thought patterns and re- moved those things that were in conflict with my new self. And then it hit me _ I real- ized that happiness was mine all along. I came to the con- clusion that happiness was simply a state of mind. All we have to do is decide that we are going to be happy. The universe will deliver what you think based upon the signal you emit. So why not emit a happy signal? When we decide to be happy and joyful and emit that signal outward, the uni- verse will deliver happiness and abundance back to us. I know it is a hard concept to grasp, but I challenge you to be happy. Change your state of mind and think happy thoughts. I guarantee you will begin to see a change in yourself and in those that you interact with. _ Jim Koury Jim Koury was born and raised in Oneonta. He is a gay activist, and the city clerk of Oneonta, a position he has held for 18 years. He can be reached at edi- tor@diversityrulesmagazine.com. The universe will deliver what you think based upon the signal you emit. So why not emit a happy signal? Want to contribute to the Diversity Scene? Email Cassandra at editor@otownscene.com 24 O-Town Scene March 31, 2011 LGBT Events Thurs. 3/31 Fri. 4/1 Trash Thursday with Katrina, 9 p.m. Mer- lin’s, 201 State St., Binghamton. College Night at Merlin’s, 8 p.m., 201 State St., Binghamton. College ID’s in free before 11 p.m. George Walsh, 9 p.m., Back to Human Tour: Black Box Theater at the Stone Mill, Little Falls. Sat. 4/2 Star Crazy – Celebrating with the Legend- ary Ladies of the Silver Screen, 7 to 10 p.m., The Lost Dog, Violet Room, 222 Water St., Binghamton. Fri. to Sun., 4/8-10 Pride and Joy Families 2011 Weekend Conference. LGBTQ families and allies gather at the RIT Inn and Conference Center. For more information, visit www. PrideAndJoyConference.org or call (607) 724-4308. Sat. 4/9 A Songwriter’s Evening: Acoustic and Folk Originals, 7:30 p.m., The Black Box Theater at The Stone Mill, Little Falls. Sat. 4/16 Comedy Night featuring Amy Carlson, 8 p.m., The Black Box Theater at The Stone Mill, Little Falls. Sun. 4/17 Fri. 4/22 Sat. 4/30 STAP’s Rock Star Celebrity Bartending Bash, 4 to 7 p.m., Tranquil Bar and Bistro, 36 Pine St., Binghamton. A fundraiser for the Southern Tier AIDS Program. Color Me Streisand, 9 p.m., Twist Ultra Lounge, 252 West Genesee St., Syracuse. A Barbara Streisand tribute show. Southern Tier AIDS Walk/Run, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Recreation Park, Beethoven Street, Binghamton. the Diversity Scene Mar. 31-Apr.6

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