What made you happiest?

I'm trying to keep this broad. What thing, action, event or even strategy or philosophy (within reaching distance of the fairly broad topics of the board and the publications of our hosts) has made you most happy?

Did you buy something?

Sell something?

Go somewhere?

Bring someone with you?

Leave someone behind?

Learn something?

Forget something?

I figure, for most of us, this is meant to be fun. What brings the happiness?

Doing something new. Experiencing. Learning. 

Whether it was rock climbing, telemark skiing, autocross, driving a car on track, riding a (small) motorcycle in track, playing the violin, whatever. I love trying and getting slightly proficient at new things. 

Second to that is helping a new person do a new thing and seeing the same joy on their face that I felt when trying it for the first time. 

 I took the families to the  OXB a few weeks ago for the first time. Found some small Mexican food trailer that had great food cause food makes us happy ! 

Have a grandchild ! I win ! Mods can lock this thread now.

Probably when I do something with the kid and she has a great time, making fun memories.

Most of my laughter comes from amusement, not happiness. I have occasionally cried from joy, but I've seldom laughed because of it. 

In a car, I think I have one.

In 1998, give or take a year, I used to pal around with a friend who was the sort to always push you to take risks. I was the opposite. I was often the driver, and I wouldn't pull away if he wasn't wearing a seatbelt. I always know what can go wrong. Slow and steady.

I we we're in my Samurai. A 2wd model. It was a rainy day in Louisiana in February, so it might have been in the fifities outside.

He showed me a muddy access road where an interstate service road came to a stop. We were largely talking about it in the abstract. It was there for servicing an interstate billboard. It was mostly cleared of brush, but was not even remotely flat and graded. I didn't own recovery equipment. I think I probably had replaced the tires, so slightly oversized BFG something Terrain T/A all around. Think OEM 4x4 tires of the late ninteties.

I gunned it and went full momentum on it. I'd never driven off road before. I have a vague recollection of keeping my thumbs clear. I was probably not even doing ten, but I probably should have been doing five. 

I didn't touch the seat. This is partly because of the rocking and pitching of the Samurai, and partly a result of my emotional state. I remember laughing the whole time. 

It was only a few hundred yards in to the sign, a turnaround, then a few hundred yards out. 

When we were done, my copilot seemed amused, but also, as a first for him, seemed to have to tell me how likely it was that I could have hurt the truck or gotten stuck. 

I think this amused me more still.

We pulled the plugs out of the floor to let the water drain out.

He had to get to work, so I dropped him off. One of my most vivid memories of the day is being stuck in Mardi Gras post-parade traffic, looking down at the pavement through the drain hole in my muddy floorboard, and just laughing like an idiot.

At age 30, I left my harness racing career and started college the next January. Ten years later I graduated from veterinary school at age 41.

I remade my life, and have never been happier than I am. The best part of that is my marriage, 24 years ago today!

Riding my bicycle when I was in elementary school. 

But nothing has ever made me happier than my baby girl.

The memories I have from traveling all around the USA.  I have made a lot of road trips - lots of miles across 46 states.  

Now I have my son interested and it pleases me to see him travel.  

The squeals my daughter made when I was taking her out in the miata, her being under 2 at the time. Now she begs to ride in the big loud truck.

Coming back to the paddock area and seeing I wasn't in last place at the end of my first rally cross.

Feeding family and friends. Weird, as much as I enjoy my hermitude, but it's one of few things I do really berkeleying well. 

Learning a new song and nailing the hard part of the solo or finally nailing that perfect line on the track. I also enjoy sharing my hobbies with others and watching them get the same joy I do.

The high of a well run race will carry me for a month.  I don't have to win (although that's nice) but if I feel like I did a really good job then I feel almost euphoric when I get out of the car.

Road trips (particularly on the motorcycle) give me a sense of quiet contentment. 

Finding someone to spend my life with after spending most of my 20’s building a business having no time for anyone else

being recognized for my skills as a carpenter by people who will have nobody else do things for them.

being recognized for my skills as a car builder by the jury of my peers, mostly here because the things that I like to do don’t go over well in marque specific groups

having my kids both know their way around a garage

Learning to spot the negative people who dragged me down and eliminating them from my life, including a grandfather who one would assume be way less of an shiny happy person to his first born grandson

being able to surround myself with people who are supporting and positive and like me for who i am, not what i have done for them lately.

being able to do things like roll up somewhere in my 20’s in a corvette because i come from a working class family that has been in the US for very few generations, worked my ass off to get it and nobody has ever handed me anything.

Getting a new tool that makes me learn how to use it, especially the old ones where it’s a dying art, so i can keep some handmade craftsmanship alive that I can teach my kids.

when i get one of the cars out and have no destination, just to go for a drive.  

Summer, being in the land of what feels like 6 months of winter.  

A while ago it was when strangers would come up to my wife and I sitting with three small kids quietly in a restaurant and comment on how well behaved our kids were (several times, several restaurants). And I only credit the kids.

Now it’s the same thing except it’s from their friends’ parents or their respective teachers.

pulling something off or getting away with something.

I don't advocate this way of life for everyone.

Pete

Snorkeling in open water. 

Runoffs 2017 at Indy in the RX7 I built from a bare chassis, finding out my last 2 laps of the race were not only my fastest, but only 2/1000 apart.

My son being born. Tears of joy. That does not happen much. 

Putting time, effort, money, etc. into something and having it be a success. 

Be that kids, cars, toys, job, friends, whatever. 

I get as much of a kick out of helping someone else be successful as I do being successful myself. Be it a kid learning to tie their shoes, to helping a friend go faster at a autocross, to spending hours building or repairing something and having it work properly afterward. All of those are equally on the path to happiness to me.

When I drive my Alfa Romeo spider, with my g/f along the California  coast.

Understanding that everything is impermanent and that more stuff / toys / money won't make you happy.

Years ago when my position was eliminated  from work I signed up for  Habitat for Humanity. The people were wonderful. They gave me a sense of purpose when I was down. It was a great experience. Unfortunately, my local chapter merged with a larger city and things were never the same so I quit going.

Pulling a semi anonymous stunt to help someone out with no expectations of anything. I'm just glad I beat the challenge, whatever it is. 

Honestly, It comes to 2 things. 

1. Seeing one of the people that I've mentored over the years get promoted/hired for a new job.

2. The joy of seeing all your own hard work come together into something great. That can be work or personal. I've busted my ass this decade and went from an inside sales rep with no degree to a sales leader with an MBA guiding a $1.2B account and being looked at as a possibility for a VP position in the next 18 month. Just thinking about that has made me so happy with a sense of achievement.  

The day I soloed. I am alone. I am the master of my craft. My fate is completely,  totally in my hands. I am flying, a dream that many have, but few accomplish. It's not easily described to those who haven't and instantly understood to those who have. 

And because I fly, I have envied no man on Earth.