Carl Sandburg had a couple of Rules for Happiness:
- To eat regularly
- Stay out of jail
- To sleep often and well
- To have a little love in the house
- To get what [he wrote] printed in a free country for free people
At the In Tandem office, Sandburg’s Rules of Happiness tickled us. Turns out, we had a few “Rules” of our own. Artistic Director Chris Flieller said, “Eat breakfast for dinner every once in a while.” Mine was “to read books, pet cats, and eat cake.”
As we thought about our Rules for Happiness, we wondered what our audiences’ “Rules” might be. And so, the idea for our current exhibit in the 10th Street Gallery (which doubles as In Tandem’s cozy lobby) was born.
From our preview performance to today, our Rules for Happiness exhibit has blossomed to over 130 entries, as patrons jot down their ideas and clip them to the wall. Among our favorites are:
“Marry your best friend.” – Betsy
“Lovingly snuggle with a warm, purring cat.” – Karen
“Assume that everyone is a family member” – Tim
“Finding time to have that extra glass of wine every so often.” – Maria
“Always look on the bright side of life” –Eric
“Live each day to the fullest.” – Sharon
“Don’t forget to take a nap on a summer afternoon” – Mike
We aren’t the only ones pleased with how well the project is going. Each performance, patrons like yourself love reading all the “Rules” and adding theirs to the collection.
The Rules for Happiness exhibit will be on display through October 21 during The Eagle in Me: An Evening of Carl Sandburg. New rules are added every show!
For more information about this exhibit and the 10th Street Gallery, click here.
