The Pursuit of Happiness

Mont St Michele

On a Thursday, as I have told you in an earlier post, I meet my friends. Depending on the weather we walk and then visit the local fishmonger, then relax in each others company, have a chat and an ale. It is a great afternoon, we never seem to run out of conversation, and I always leave feeling happy. It is a simple afternoon and it generates its own happiness. 

I was thinking of this after over-hearing a number of conversations. The first was a mother. She was bemoaning that as hard as she tried she could not longer bring back the happy times they all used to share together. “No matter what I organize it is always the same,” she said. “They always have things to do and places to go.” 

Hankering after the old days she is missing the joy and happiness of watching them become free beings in their own right. 

The second conversation was a friend complaining that he need a new mobile phone. “Why? “ I asked. “This one is out of date. I hope the next one lasts longer.” The phone he had was at least a year younger than mine, but he had to be up date with all the latest gizmos. 

In reality, both of these conversations were about the same thing. Let me explain what I mean.

If we have a scooter we want a cycle, if we have a cycle we want a car. If we have a car we want a bigger or better one. The list is endless. And so is the pursuit.

I remember workmate who, the minute they got promotion began talking about the next step up the ladder. Or when they had been given a pay hike it was not bringing him any closer who his friend who had also had one. Again the list is endless as is the pursuit.

Even on the emotional and relationships front, our relationships are evaluated on the basis of how many visits, how many phone calls, how many invitations one gets and gives. We seek to create a perfect family of always smiling people around us, and are disappointed if things are not picture perfect. Yet again, the list is endless.
And so is the pursuit.

The pursuit of happiness. This is a well-known and well used phrase. Yet it is in fact a strange term. It in fact makes no sense at all. 

Like many oft-repeated phrases, one repeats it mechanically but it makes no sense whatsoever.

Happiness is not an object or person that can be pursued. It just is.

In fact, perhaps it is this very phrase that is often the seed of much discontent and unhappiness.

The new phone, car, are all part of the pursuit of happiness. 

As I ran this morning I was thinking about these conversations and my own pursuit of happiness, and the next better artwork.  As I reached the 6 mile mark it all seemed to fall into place.

When you pursue happiness, it eludes you. However, when you recognise that happiness is the inner beings natural state, all you need to do is eliminate all that comes between your happiness and you.

I think I need to read that again and again in the next few days. Is it complex or complicated? Not really. 

Todays artwork is the finished Pen and Ink of Mont St Michele. I did take a picture of a stage between the first one and this one but decided just to share the finished work. I wondered long and hard about adding the colour. Too late now to change my mind. 

I have some very fond memories of this place and the visits I made here with family and friends. 

Sadly like so many places the little streets leading up to the magnificent cathedral at the top are full of little shops all selling the same things. 

What next? I think maybe back to a canvas. 

The First Hints of Romance

The First Hints of Romance

I am just home after running with my son, who is half my age, now that is what I call foolhardy. We knocked almost five minutes off my fastest time for that particular route. So no matter what happens today I have already had a measure of success and the day can only be good.

My son is more than a son to me he is and always has been a very good friend and pal. From a very early age we have done things together. I am indeed a very fortunate person having a son and a daughter who have always been more than just family to me.

Ross, my son has not had an easy life as some of you know. At a very early age in life he lost an eye and had to have a replacement glass eye fitted. This could so easily have been a turning point in his life, but it was not. He learned very quickly to make the most of what could have been something he carried with him through his whole life.

The stories I have in my memory jar of him and that glass eye would be enough to fill a book. Every year or so he had to have a new one made to accommodate his growing. These eyes were indeed a work of art. They were all hand painted to make a match of his other eye. Ross had a collection of the now too small ones. These were used to play all sorts of jokes on fellow pupils and teachers.

I will never forget the day we were having an ale together. A group of my ex students had joined us and, as is the way of young people, each one competing to show us how foolhardy they could be. I could see Ross listening carefully and could almost hear him thinking, “I wish these lads would just be themselves and stop trying to prove what they are.” He stood up saying he was just heading to the loo. He put his hand up to his eye and it looked as though he was removing his glass eye, he already had one of the extras in his hand . he leaned over and laid it beside his ale and said, “I will just keep an eye on my ale, you guys seem like you might try anything.” There was a sudden hush. It was amazing how the conversation became so much more adult from then in.

I was told a similar tale yesterday which Ross enjoyed during our run this morning.

A young man was in a restaurant on his own. Sitting at the next table was a beautiful lady, also, on her own. She was stunning, and he most certainly would have loved to have spoken to her. He kept finding himself looking in her direction. All of a sudden she sneezed. Her glass eye shot towards him. Like a cricket wicket keeper he caught it. They began to chat, and joined each others company. At the end of the meal she insisted on paying. Then an amazing thing happened, she invited him home for coffee and wine.

They had a lovely evening and it has to be said a beautiful breakfast. Before leaving they made arrangements to meet again. He told her how overwhelmed he was to have met her. He wondered how he had been so fortunate. She looked at him and smiled.

She said, ”You caught my eye!”

Life is not always a beautiful bed of roses, sometimes it is hard. It is however always best to make the most of adversity. It is indeed true that every cloud has a silver lining.

I hope you all have a marvellous day.