Dodgers fans boost ticket sales

When times are tough, it's nice to be able to take comfort in something you like - something you can believe in.

And Los Angeles Dodgers fans? They believe in their team. With all of the economic chaos that's swirling around us right now, there's a simple purity in that.

Banks are failing, stores are closing, homes are in foreclosure and people are losing their jobs. But on Saturday, Dodgers fans purchased more than 49,000 tickets for the 2009 regular season, a 33 percent increase over the 37,000 tickets they bought on the first day of single game sales last year.

I have a theory about this. I think we're all looking for hope. And if your hope can be pinned to the Dodgers taking the field and winning games ... well, that just might get you through the day.

It certainly beats the hell out of finding out how many investors Bernard Madoff has duped. Or how many jobs have been lost (it was 651,000 in February alone for those counting).

My point is this: If you have something in your life that means a lot to you - music, sports, stamp collecting, whatever - then embrace that thing. Revel in the fact that it can still bring a smile to your face.

Because in these uncertain times, our happiness may be enough to keep us sane. Be a glass-that's-half-full kind of person. This is nothing deep. It's just rediscovering the essence that makes us want to be in this world.

Reconnect with those things. And if you can't remember what they are ... go out and find some new ones.