Happy!?!

Yes, I know some people have problems that aren't thier fault. This is just my take on happiness, or the lack thereof, with a little humor in the mix, to keep it interesting.

For a bunch of people living in a place where happiness surrounds us, we sure are a depressed group, aren't we? Think about it: "The pursuit of happiness" is written into our Declaration of Independance and you can get a "Happy Meal" on any street corner, in any town in America, yet people are stuffed to the rafters with Prozac and Zoloft. In some corners of the world, there are people living(barely) where a happy meal is finding an extra dung beetle in their bowl of roots and twigs. And, in some parts of Africa, "fast food" means a gazelle. So why are we so depressed?

I think it has something to do with our reality not being nearly as much fun as what we see on the television and in advertising. Have you ever seen the virtual nirvana that is a light beer commercial? Does your life resemble that in any way? Because if I tried to compare my existence to those commercials, I'd be standing out on the ledge of a tall building somewhere, spotting my landing point.

You've seen the commercials. Kawasaki with the whole "Let the good times roll" campaign. Rockstar energy drink with the "Party like a rockstar". Maybe less advertising, but Sam's has us believing that we will never again pay retail again. Whatever you say, Peter Pan. Hey, maybe I'll get Count Chocula to pick me up and we can go eat donuts with Willy Wonka.

I also believe that we are taught to be unhappy at a young age. All the things that we don't have are constantly flashed in front of us. We learn that society places value on material possessions, and we see that success means winning an award. We are programmed to believe that happiness and professional success go hand-in-hand, and we will never be satisfied because the goals that have been set for us are higher than the front row of a Pink Floyd concert.

The simple truth is that life is dissappointing at times. I could let the fact that, during my 12 years at Adkins, I never reached my goal of being a store manager, turn me into a cynical old fart. I could do that, and some think I have, but that doesn't make it the right thing to do. I watched people getting better jobs all the time. Then, I got an offer from Dynochem, and it was great. They got bought out after almost 4 years with them, but I was asked to join another chemical company as a member of management. So far, it has worked out, but I could end up back at Adkins someday, getting paid fuckall, but I would still have my goal out there of being a store manager.

Still there's more to it than that. We have to learn to appreciate the simpler things in life. Forget work, accolades and the approval of others. That stuff is a waste of time and it won't make you happy. Don't get me wrong, I have a great family to come home to every day, but sometimes the only thing that makes a difference is the smell of race gas coming up from the tank of my four-wheeler. On particularly bad days, 15-30 minutes on it will completely erase all the bullshit from the day, and I can actually treat my family the way they deserve to be treated, instead of taking all my crap out on them. Nothing clears your head like screaming down a gravel road at 75 mph when it feels like the tires are barely clinging to the road, and you know one screw up and you will be doing 75 mph down a gravel road without the 4-wheeler. That will clear your head, and if it doesn't, try it without your helmet, goggles and boots. Works, for me, every damn time.

How about smiling when you make it throught the left hand turn light when you were the 5th car back at the light? A nice sunset, soft toilet paper, or the fact that you're healthy. Maybe, like today, smile in the middle of an ass-chewing from your boss, in person, because he just can't quite pull it off. Man, he picked up the pace after that little stunt, but still, it was nothing to write home about.

Maybe we should all take a little excursion to Mexico to get some perspective. I'm not talking about Cancun either. If you saw the poverty that many Mexican and other poverty stricken citizins live in, it would blow your mind.

I know I have it good. I have an amazing family, a few good friends, and a job that I actually enjoy, most of the time. I have food on the table and a roof over my head, even though that all sounds a little cliche, it's more than some people can say. So, the next time you're staring in your medicine cabnet at the veritable smorgasbord of mood-enhancing pills in front of you, ask yourself how bad your life actually is. If your favorite toy, be it a 4-wheeler or dirtbike or whatever, is in your garage, I'm guessing it's not that bad. If not, grab a glass of water pal-you're gonna need it to get all those pills down.

J