Too Laid-back

An E friend asked me the other day why I am so laid back? "Why is it you never seem to be upset about things"? I am not sure, but will try to explain that today (Ok, I know you don't care, but indulge me. I spent time writing this for you). I do pretend to be upset about cell phones, global warming exaggerations, Hollywood and all the other oddities of the word. But surely you must know by now that most of my protestations are done tongue in cheek as parody, not real upset. Those little things and even the big and real problems in life I face just don't get me worried for too long, because I roll with the punches and laugh at the puncher as I roll. It's what most people in New Orleans do.
I think I am the product of a city that behaves the same way. It must be why we are the Mardi Gras city. Yep! There are many other nuts like me here in New Orleans, for we all live the place called "The city that care forgot". We just don't care to get too upset when we can enjoy life, laugh at it and discover other things that make us happy.
A self deprecating sense of humor has always been a key element of New Orleans. We're a little weird and proud of it. We don't want to be like people in other cities because being eccentric, irreverent and sometimes irrational (my cell phone tirades) is good for the soul. You should try more of that too. Laughter is often a powerful prescription for the travails of life, and one need not be serious when seriousness isn't the right medicine.
I save my worry and sadness for the truly important things in life, a death, for example, not for having to stand in line too long or being accused unfairly of something I didn't do but have been blamed for. When my child is suffering I am sad, when I pay too much for a piece of furniture or fail to reach that goal I set I just smile and move on to the next object of my attention.
My city was largely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. We lost half the population, but I think much of that half never belonged here anyway. They are the doom and gloomers that we real New Orleanians can't be. They don't know how to "never seem to be upset too much" . What is left of my city after the hurricane isn't very much or all that good now materially, but we have fun in ways outsiders never know. This once great city is lying in ruins but we are having a wonderful time while we go down with the ship.
So if I sometimes seem to be uncaring and cynical, please remember that I am not. I care deeply about that which I should care. It's just that I would rather celebrate life with lots of laughter, and a short memory for what pains me.
Uh, I am happy being this way. is that really a fault?