Gratitude. Ok. I get it. One should be aware of ones so-called blessings. Sure. Sound advice. But a few observations, if I may: when one is talking about something in a searching, inquisitive manner, trying to find something that hasnt been found yet, an answer, or even a clue to an answer to a problem, be that problem global or local, the relentless happythink crowd raises their rallying cry to kick all negative people to the curb, to secure the parapet of Happy Castle® and pour the pitch on those not permanently bliss-zonked. #1. In my opinion, gratitude in most cases can be assumed. If Im discussing something that I deem unsatisfactory, it does not follow that I am dissatisfied with EVERY OTHER SINGLE THING IN MY LIFE. And so, being reminded that I should be grateful for what I have (my - ick - blessings) - while nice and well-meaning, is unnecessary. If I dont go on at particular length about the things for which I am grateful, its not because Im unaware of them; its because I was taught that to do so risks being unseemly. Or, in the parlance of the now, #humblebrag #2. I am taking back the word negative from the Cult of Smiles. What is so often labeled as negative to me seems merely... ruminative. Yes, I realize that its a fine line between obsession and reflection; I walk that line daily. And I fully recognize the value of remaining present - I work on that as best I can. And yes, I sometimes must cop to imagining the wreckage of my future. But the *dynamic*, the *process*, is pure. Incubation and illumination. If Im not going on about how happy I am about something, its because that very happiness indicates that there are no problems there to be solved. In sum, this jeremiad is ultimately a plea for a sense of scale. And the oppressive thumb of the bliss-at-all-costs set is particularly heavy on the social media scale.
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 15:09:36 +0000
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