"Dearly beloved, We are gathered here today to get through this thing called life."

You might recognize those lines as the opening of Prince’s 1984 song, “Let’s Go Crazy.” In this classic pop song, Prince is making the point  that life is short and we should make the most of it. Prince encourages us to celebrate the joy of living with the chorus, “Let’s go crazy, Let’s get nuts.”

Here in Baton Rouge, Mike Andrepont gets crazy for a living. Mike specializes in what we might call Joy-Maxxing: celebrating life’s high-points with his company, AFX Pro.

AFX Pro is a special effects company. Their work includes pyrotechnics, stadium tunnel and smoke lighting, weddings, concerts, festivals, and corporate events.

Even if you don’t live in Baton Rouge you’ve probably seen AFX Pro's creations because their clients include the NFL, NBA and NCAA. Locally you might have seen their Joy-Maxxing celebrations at an LSU Tigers event, a couple’s first dance at a wedding or a gender reveal party.

For some people, celebrating life doesn’t come quite so easy. That’s because they’re starting from a more challenging everyday baseline. And when I say “they,” this group of people might well include you. If it doesn’t it probably includes someone you know, because according to government statistics, roughly 20% of adult Americans take anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medication.

These 58 million Americans are trying their best to live contrary to Prince’s advice. They’re trying to not go crazy, not get nuts. Here in Baton Rouge, Leigh Blanchard is dedicated to improving the lives of people dealing with anxiety, depression, emotional trauma and chronic stress, using techniques like Reiki therapy, hypnosis, Somatic healing, Aromatherapy and other wellness practices.

Leigh is the Founder of the wellness clinic, Life Plus You, on Essen Lane.

The Declaration of Independence grants us the right of “the pursuit of happiness.” Some students of US history say the word “pursuit” is intended to be a verb, meaning happiness is something we have the right to chase after. That’s how most of us interpret it. 

But other scholars say “pursuit” is a noun. Happiness is a pursuit, like the pursuit of stamp collecting, or the pursuit of bird watching. In that sense, happiness is a state of being. Rather than something we’re chasing after it’s something we’ve been granted and need to preserve, like life and liberty.   Mike is involved in maximizing moments of already existing happiness, the noun, and Leigh is involved in the active pursuit of happiness, the verb.

Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. You can find photos from this show by  Ethan Castille at itsbatonrouge.com.