People say they only want to be happy. I don't think that's always true. We talk about happiness as the aim, the high and lofty target out of reach, someday to be reached. Sometimes we link it to something so lofty, a fair-minded observer might begin to wonder if we ever really want to reach it.
I think happiness is not something lofty and faraway. Happiness is low-hanging fruit. It's all around, ripe for the plundering--and yet, we don't seize it. We don't even want to see that it's there. But in any and every circumstance, the possibility of happiness is indeed there. There are just too many examples of happy people in any and every circumstance for that not to be true.
We resent the availability of happiness. There it is, between two slices of bread in a peanut butter sandwich. But that's preposterous that I--I--should be able to find contentment in a sandwich--I, who am meant for such high things.
First! Ever!
ReplyDeleteI didn't notice your plug for this in the post script of your recent email until rereading it just now.
One of my FB friends posted an article on the key to happiness recently, which argues that happiness is making 60K per year. Sadly, I am leaving behind such a salary for the relative poverty of being a grad student, so I will have to find happiness in PB&J sandwiches and reading thoughtful blogs. I look forward to it!