Naturally I can't find the article to reference/link it, but either in this past Sunday's NYT or the Chicago Tribune there was a story about happiness.
The story began by comparing two people-- a wealthy 30-something single male with a lot of wealth and his own swimming pool, and a 60-something married, overweight African American woman with lots of health problems.
Based on a brain scan-- I think, if I remember correctly-- the woman was happier than the man, because she has a circle of family and friends, and experiences happiness through emotional rewards gained by volunteering at her church.
Like bees, humans gravitate toward each other, and want to work together, with altruism as a motivating factor, being cognizant on some level that the love we receive is equal to the love we give. As much as we'd like to be independent, or think of ourselves as these unique independent beings, there's a lot of loneliness and consequent unhappiness inherent in having only our own voice in the room, or our own successes to celebrate.
In the name of independence, and in striving so hard each week to figure out how I'm going to make a living and continue producing the weekly Pipeline and blah, blah, blah I'm broke like the rest of the world, I've flown a bit off course, away from any semblance of a beehive. I've put stupid things ahead of important things, and I've let details slide in an effort to cover as much stuff as possible. And all this while doing something I love, but from which I have no clue how it can be sustainable.
Next week I'll try to get back on course. As for right now, my hair is just about dry at last, and I need to get to a camera repair shop. Perhaps there's a joke somewhere in the fact that the very last picture I took on my camera was of the exterior of a Subway before the shutter button disappeared. Maybe the cold weather caused it to freeze off? In any case, it's AWOL and I'm bummed. I don't believe in praying to any higher power over selfish stuff regarding money, but I really cannot afford a massive repair or a new camera at the present time. By sticking a bent paper clip in the hole I can depress the button, and it sort of works but it's awkward.
Many years ago a man that I met, a writer, laughed a bit when I had temporarily misplaced my steno notebook containing a week or two worth of notes. "Losing a notebook is like losing your life," he had said.
At the moment I feel that way about my camera. Though I hope to get it fixed soon. In the meantime I'll try to keep what I read about happiness closer to the front of my mind.
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