Friday, January 16, 2009

Miasma

Mists in the streets tonight, this week. Dreamlike and luminous are my walks home, but I'm beginning to feel the chill-I must be short of blood. Rare I'm short of anything.

So many Valkyries, so little time. Shoulda asked for Tuesday off, would like to watch the inauguration. Y'all'll tell me how it goes.

Man I love a pair of apostrophes in the same word. Makes me happy, which is the second of my two subjects here today. I was perusing Slate today, ran across this article. Happiness resonates with me, is my primary goal, and I found the author's and her inquisitors' takes on the subject valuable (except for the person who identifies as an "ethical nihilist". That person's an asshole), if not entirely parallel w/ my own. So I'm asking, my dear karass, what makes you happy? What does it mean, what does it look like for you to be happy? What do you strive for in life that brings you happiness? Is being happy important to you? Are you happy, and do you know any happy people? Sing out-I'm curious.

3 comments:

mrs random said...

I am. Most of the time. For no good reason. Or maybe very good reasons! Hard to say...

Epiphenita said...

Odd, odd. This particular question keeps popping up lately. A friend over lunch, an email about Eric Wilson's In Defense of Melancholy, etc.

I spent the first half of my life a devout christian, following a prescribed formula for happiness. The second half, seeking the same happiness without such a framework. I'm not saying that happiness is richer without religion. I'm just saying it is for me. But I admit that the passage of time must be considered in addition to the change of philosophy.

And, I am less impressed with the state of being happy than with abundance of happiness in one's life. Definitions, definitions. The question so pointless without definition. Happiness does not always need to be present for one's life to be, essentially, quite happy.

So to answer your question, my pensive friend, I am abundantly happy.

My cup fucking runneth over.

Creativity. The delight of thinking. Words. A companion of immeasurable loveliness. Adult children who have become dear friends. A place to call home. A world in which to adventure. In all my foulmouthed, ranting, discontented moments, I am convinced that my life is charmed.

And not in small part by the presence of people like you, who challenge, probe and send me to the dictionary on a regular basis.

Anonymous said...

I am happy when there are challenges to rise to, songs to be sung and loved ones to share an embrace with. Something sweet on the lips is lovely too.