Happiness 101a:
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
We are finally off, not to see Dorothy’s Wizard, who by the way always seemed to be happy on the surface, but to explore some of the myths of Happiness, in unexpected places. It is a beautiful day for traveling; sunny skies, a warm breeze, and a green landscape that would melt the heart of the most confirmed environmentalist.
Up ahead is a sign cautioning us to slow down as we approach a more populated area, and just beyond we find a friendly welcoming sign announcing our arrival in the town of ‘Well-being’. This was not a total surprise, as we had been following a popular travel brochure and map that beckoned tourists to explore life in somewhat different horizons.
We found a fairly normal looking little town with neatly treed streets, a town square, a business district and the usual assortment of places for education, sports and spiritual inspiration. Could this possibly be a utopian place to live, raise a family or even retire in comfort and happiness?
Being careful to not arrive at a spontaneous conclusion, however, we found ourselves with plenty of discretionary time to look things over and arrive at a more respectable opinion. We agreed that the Chamber of Commerce would be a good place to start and by chance there was their office just ahead on the right. As you might imagine, there opinion of themselves and their surrounds was quite positive and even over the top with exuberance. Happiness we concluded must surely begin with one’s self-esteem and the respect and hope of the indigenous culture of one’s living area.
Checking our bucket list of interrogatory concerns, we inquired about the relative economy of the town, population growth, unemployment rates, cost of living and the perception of peaceful governance of municipal affairs. Once again we received assurances that in comparison to other locations in the surrounding area, ‘Well-being’ is considered to be a head turner and the place to call home.
Well, there we have it; somewhat positive responses to things that can be important to one’s well-being. There are, however, quite a few more variables than these to be considered in the total picture of one’s well-being, especially as it may relate to a Happiness state of mind. And to top it off, we each must realize the variations in the way each of us think about Happiness, as a value term, in our life worth living.
We must consider the kaleidoscope of class distinctions that make up the population. Some will be well off and happy, some will be well off and sad, some will be middle class and happy,
some will be middle class and sad. And there will be the poor, the unemployed, the homeless, the migrant and the hungry who for whatever reason can manage to smile in the face of their diversity.
Yes, it does get a little complicated and confusing. Is it possible to find the right state of mind and attitude to counteract the plagues of desire, helplessness, pleasure, loneliness, emotion, boredom, depression, tranquillity, satisfaction etc. and emerge with a continuing feeling of joy and happiness? There will be no guarantees here of a definitive answer. But if you come back to journey further with us as we explore ‘Well-being’, we may collectively strike a note that finds a ploy to crack the myth of our individual states of Happiness.
A Life Worth Living started as a series of articles about our journey, Cathy's and mine, through a period in our life somewhat altered by the symptoms of Alzheimer disease. Having been known to take pen in hand on occasion, it seemed a way to convey my curiosity about the culture of care for those so afflicted to the households of loved ones who are on such a journey. In this column you will get travel updates as we go along as well as a view of various other matters of interest to seniors.
