Thomas Jefferson’s B-day
Happiness comes when your work and words
are of benefit to yourself and others.
~Buddha

Archaeologist, architect, author, horticulturist, inventor, paleontologist, and statesman – the one-man Renaissance that was Thomas Jefferson was born into a well-healed family in 1743 in Albemarle County, Virginia. He studied at the College of William and Mary, and because of his extensive travels and all of the nifty stuff he stumbled across while exploring, he’s responsible for introducing vanilla ice cream, macaroni and the indoor cook stove to Colonial America, all before becoming the third president of the United States of America.

Though quite the ladies’-man, he was also self-conscious of his lanky, fair-haired, and freckly silhouette. Luckily for us all, Thomas Jefferson was a keen observer of humankind and an articulate writer and journalist—and rather than yammering on-and-on and waxing poetic as did many of his peers in the Continental Congress, Jefferson chose to contribute his flair for the written word over his audible voice to the new American patriotic cause. Muted by his insecurities and humility, in 1776, at the young-ish age of 33, Jefferson penned our Declaration of Independence, a document relating the loftiest ideals of death to tyranny and the birth of Democracy in fledgling a country.

The first draft of the Declaration of Independence addressed “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of property.” Jefferson, in his infinite wisdom, insisted on the change that all these years later still reads:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

I’m guessing that Jefferson didn’t merely mean the happiness we get from “The Partridge Family” reruns, or being the first on our block with a new I-Phone, but rather, the happiness we feel for and with those around us. The pursuit of our dreams to rise above our station in life, and provide a better world for our children than the one we inherited. To be honestly happy when others have something good happen to them (though, even Jefferson would have hated whoever won last week’s Mega Millions lotto!). The kind of true happiness that allows us to move beyond our conventional barriers, to embrace a faith that embraces us back, to be content, to be grateful, to show gratitude for the little stuff and to be joyously willing to share ourselves with the world. Whatever our current situation, our new Democracy would allow us to pursue happiness any-which-way.

Folks find happiness in so many different ways. Sarah Jessica finds hers in her Jimmy Choo pumps. For Oprah it’s her huge (ummm…) viewer-ship and a fresh bar of soap for each hand washing. Tiger finds his center when he’s got a nine-iron in his hands. Ozzy is one with the universe when he’s pulverizing what’s left of his vocal chords. And Brittany, well let’s just say she seems to be doing more pursuing than finding at this stage in her life.

And where do I pursue my happiness? Well that’s a piece of cake—a hunk of it that is. Especially when it’s glopped and crusted onto our stainless steel range. Thanks to founding father, and foodie Thomas Jefferson, he himself prepared the way to my never-ending joy. As proud as he may have been to have invented the first “modern” built-in kitchen stove, generations later I’m my happiest when our stove sparkles. (Believe it…I’m really that shallow.)

Instead of using the expensive commercial stuff to make the stovetop sparkle and shine, I apply a generous sprinkling of unadulterated baking soda directly onto the greasy-grimy-goopy mess of an overspill. With a lightly dampened dishcloth and just a touch of elbow grease, our entire oven is as clean and shiny as the day it was delivered. (Remember: Never, never, never use those green, wire or steel wool pads on your precious metal surfaces. Treat them like gold and they’ll shine forever.)

Had Jefferson done the same, his stove might still be in the same condition as when he invented it. But then again - he was kinda’ busy pursuing so many other things that gave him happiness.

Michael De Jong, is the author of “CLEAN: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing,” (www.zencleansing.com) produced by Joost Elffers Design and published in 2007 by Sterling Publishers. He lives in Jersey City with his partner, dog and three (now four) goldfish, all of which benefit from his natural cleaning techniques. De Jong, who cleaned apartments in New York City while working as a fine artist, began researching and inventing many of the recipes in “CLEAN” because of his own allergic reactions to commercial cleaning products, and he is continually experimenting with safe, effective and eco-friendly alternatives. Raised in the mid-West by a family that valued the environment and re-cycled before it was fashionable, his quest for non-toxic solutions comes naturally to him. He is currently writing a companion series of “CLEAN” books dealing with such topics as the body, first aid, organization, and food, as well as posting a weekly Blog on www.thedailygreen.com. “CLEAN: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing” can be purchased at Barnes & Noble stores across the country or on-line at www.barnesandnoble.com or www.amazon.com. Take the “zen-cleansing” quiz at Latitude U. www.latitudeu.com