Accommodation Is Not a Shield From Criticism
By D. Scott
The holiday season has dawned in New England, and the temperatures are beginning to rise above eighty-nine degrees Fahrenheit. Though I don’t normally notice the temperature on the car ride into and out of work every morning, I do notice with alarm when the thermometer reads eighty-nine. It seems as if the temperature has changed my mood forever. I dread the winter holiday season. It is the same season that I dread most. I dread being with family. I dread eating at meals. I dread sleeping in. I dread going to the theater, movies, or concert. I dread having to stand in line at the post office or to fill out some ridiculous form in order to receive my pension check. I dread my friends’ and family’s constant reminders of my shortcomings. I dread the fact that a large part of my life consists of being unhappy.
It is not a bad thing to make a great effort not to be a miserable person, but there is a price to pay. It is the sacrifice of being human. This is the price of self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-understanding.
I will not be a happy person by any rational standard. And, I am not being glib, I am being honest. I will be a miserable person if I don’t try to change. I believe that happiness lies in the pursuit of happiness.
And, what are you hoping to get out of life?
I am hoping to be, first and foremost, happy.
I want to enjoy life. I want to love, experience joy, and be in close contact with God. I want to be loved by my friends and family. I want to have deep and meaningful relationships with one another. I want to experience joy, life satisfaction, and love. A life of happiness, in other words. In reality, I believe that there is no one single thing that will bring about