happiness

In the last writing class I took, one of my fellow students brought in an article she had written (for a Ukranian newspaper) for us to critique. The article dealt with the topic of happiness and basically asked, "Are you happy?"

The first people she interviewed responded by saying, "Sure, I guess I'm happy. I have a good job and a big house, etc."

Which is such a typical way for people nowadays to respond... by looking at their things. They had an idea in their mind that if they could get these "things" they would be happy, and now they have those things, so that means that they are happy, right?

Sure, my first thought was to scoff at them and say, "Oh you stupid people!" but then I realized that it is hard to talk tangibly about an intangible thing. So people put it into concrete things. Which doesn't really work, but at least I understand why they do that.

I turned the question on myself yesterday and thought, "Am I happy?" And I am delighted to inform you that I am! I didn't even have to think about it or qualify it! I am happy!

Again, as I have talked about before, there is no such place as Happy Land where I can permanently reside, there are just moments of happiness... but I seem to be having a ton of them.

I know I talk about this a lot, but similar to how my perfect 20/20 laser vision eye sight never gets old (I didn't have to put on glasses and I can see!!!) being happy when you have struggled with depression in the past is a friggin' miracle!

Are you happy?

Why?

Why not?

Sure, you can tell me about bad things happening, but that's no excuse not to be happy. Sure, I wish that my foot didn't hurt so much or that my mom didn't have cancer, but those things can't stop me from being happy. Of course, having my awesome hypnotist work on me also helps. But so does wearing this comfy sweatshirt, and drinking from my favorite mug and waking up to daylight (if not actual sunshine on this gray, gray day.)

(sorry for another random, all disjointed blog post, when I am happy I don't care as much about what I am blogging either!)