Editor, The Cheshire Herald:
I never make resolutions. Many residents of Cheshire probably don’t know this, but I have a philosophy of life I call OPIAO (Only Positivity In And Out). I include it at the top and bottom of each of my emails, and I close some of my phone conversations with a few close friends with it as well. Even my grandson, Luke — age 15, who has been calling me every night for the past two months and who knows of my OPIAO custom — joins me to close our conversations with it.
Our close friends, the Gomez family, bought me a frame for our family vehicle’s rear license plate with the phrase printed around the edge.
Here in “Ronnyworld,” OPIAO means no anger, vengeance, insults, arguing, negativity of any kind, no upsettedness, very little nervousness or sadness, and almost constant happiness. My other standby phrase is, “If it ain’t fun, don’t do it,” and a somewhat more manageable, “If it is to be it is up to me, so go do it to it.” The first 10 words are even on placards on classroom bulletin boards and the second six were John White’s immediate addition when I shared the first 10.
All of the above phrases, coupled with my wife, Diane, being able to put up with me, have kept to keep me the happiest person I know. And of course, I abbreviate that with ITHPIK (I’m The Happiest Person I Know).
Just sayin … .
Ron Gagliardi
Cheshire