HAPPINESS

"HAPPINESS"

Despite what most people believe... my opinion of happiness is that it really doesn't exist. All we ever achieve in the way of happiness are brief moments, as if taunting us or baiting us... perhaps just enough to keep driving us for the next addictive moment.

A 6 year old child receives a bike for her birthday and she is happy. A week later, she may think she's still happy but in essence she's not any longer. She's content perhaps, but no longer happy and therefore wants something else... her next moment of happiness. The older we get… the more burdens we get from life and therefore the brief moments of happiness aren’t so easy to come by as when we were six. In some cases, we must do things we normally wouldn’t and sometimes things we know aren’t exactly right to obtain our moments which we know aren’t true moments of happiness but more of a “fix” to keep us going until our next brief moment of true happiness occurs. This is... acceptable. In open conversation, most people would frown upon it... however, although few would ever admit it, it’s something we all do. Its part of our nature… part of our self-preservation instinct. We all do it and in our subconscious we all deliberate over the moral justification of these acts and in most cases, we can convince ourselves that it’s “acceptable”. These acts usually involve another person who is most likely unaware of the underlying reason for the act. Intentionally hurting or causing this person to suffer for the sake of getting a “fix” is a line that should NEVER be crossed… but does quite a bit.

In the end... we all do what we feel we must... but great thought as to the repercussions of the acts should be taken ahead of time. Not only the repercussions to the other person involved, but also to ourselves... especially for those with the moral need to seek absolution for those acts.

(2007-01-09)