A fact of life that makes me HAPPY every day. Especially today.

How happy the Internet makes me! I try never to take it for granted.

Last night, for example, I had a moment of profound satisfaction, courtesy of the Internet.

When I was doing my research for Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill, I came across an anecdote in a diary related to World War II. I loved it -- but I lost it.

I'd read so many wartime diaries -- from where did this story come? I was sure that I’d copied the passage into my huge trove of notes and quotations, but somehow it had vanished. It flitted through my mind every once in a while, but last week I became determined to find it again. It seemed relevant to my happiness research.

I thought that I remembered that it was in Jock Colville’s wonderful Fringes of Power, and I actually paged through the whole book looking for this story, but I couldn’t find it.

Finally, it occurred to me: the story seemed obscure, but maybe I could find it and its source on the Internet (why it took me so long to have this thought, I don’t know).

Now, I couldn’t remember the story exactly. I hadn't read it in five or six years. But I searched for the terms “Englishman” “fine vessel” and “sinking.” And search, search, search…Eureka! I found the story that had eluded me for so long.

Here it is.

It wasn’t Jock Colville, it was Harold Nicolson. In June 1941 he was working at the wartime Ministry of Information, and he wrote in his diary for June 10:

The Middle East have no sense of publicity. The Admiralty is even worse. We complain that there are no photographs of the sinking of the Bismarck. Tripp says that the official photographer was in the Suffolk and that the Suffolk was too far away.

We say, ‘But why didn’t one of our reconnaissance machines fly over the ship and take photographs?’

He replies, ‘Well you see, you must see, well upon my word, well after all, an Englishman would not like to take snapshots of a fine vessel sinking.’

Is he right? I felt abashed when he said it. I think he is right.

Oh my goodness, what immense satisfaction I feel at having this story safely typed in my notes. I love it. It ties into one of the themes that I feel circling around the edges of happiness: the happiness of work well done, the instinct for workmanship. I'm not ready to tackle it yet, but I'm getting closer.

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The Think Simple Now blog covers "Creativity, clarity, and happiness" so naturally I was thrilled to find it.

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I was hit by a HUGE wave of spam that has messed with my email, so if you've emailed me in the last few days, and haven't heard back, please email me again. Sorry!

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Comments

[Alice Bachini-Smith]

Oh my, you are so right! Whatever did we do before the internet? So many times a day there are odd facts I absolutely have to know and can actually find out now!

It's so bizarre recalling growing up not being able to do that. Terrible for one's learning growth really- you'd ask an adult (who probably didn't know), go to a library and annoy some old librarian lady who didn't want to talk to kids, give up, go home and most likely forget all about whatever it was.

I'm really glad you posted this- and also thanks for the reminder just to enjoy the (now) everyday things.

[NE1]

This is why Google Desktop was invented. You can search the whole Internet ... that you have seen before. Now, if only it cached Google Reader too, I would have the perfect solution for retrieving the full stories behind all the trivia I misremember.

[Tee]

I had a similar experience just last week.

Over a month ago I had begun to read a book but never finished it. I accidentally returned it to the library and couldn't remember the title or the author - only some very obscure details about the plot. (Not even the main character's name!)

I was haunted by the story day and night. I kept remembering bits and pieces and mourning that I'd never know what happened. Then I remembered the glorious internet.

I found the book using askville.com - as the name suggests, it's a community of people that can ask each other questions.

It's great to have access to hundreds of peoples' knowledge!

First time reading your site today. The concept for your book is intriguing. Good luck.

[Tina Su - Think Simple Now]

Wow Gretchen, I'm so honored. Thank you so much for the mention. It's made my Tuesday that much happier! :)

Have a beautiful week!
Tina

[Maytal]

The internet is indeed one of the 7th worl wonders :)
I'm trying to look back on life before the internet and its hard!

[Gretchen Rubin]

Tee -- please tell us! what was the book that haunted you for years?