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Saturday, December 26, 2009

THE BRASS RING


Well, another year shot down the sewer. Time to make some changes. Yessir, 2010 will be different--now let me see, what should I put on that list of New Year's resolutions?

Hold on there, Wild Bill ! What say we put the new year on hold for a moment. That's it...relax. Let's talk about something directly related to those resolutions, and that's the subject of happiness. If people were really happy with themselves, they wouldn't feel the need to make all those changes, right?

Funny thing, this happiness stuff. The more you chase after it, the more it eludes you. There must be a trick to it somewhere. Now we're getting warmer ! The trick to realizing happiness is to first understand that there IS a trick, and that the trick is on us.

Let's face it, we humans are never satisfied--it's either a thing or a person we don't feel complete without, or some circumstance of our lives that we would change if we could. The culprit is desire--it's what chains us to this world. Only by recognizing that to some degree we will ALWAYS be in this state of unfulfilled desire (until we've evolved enough to master desire) are we likely to amiably accept life on its own terms. This is the irony. The cosmic joke.

Now, just in case I lost you back there, what follows is a mini-play about two friends: Fred, who lives in the moment, and Arnie, who...well, lives lots of other places.

THE BRASS RING

Scene: A New Year's Eve party.
FRED: Hey Arnie, you don't look so happy--what's the matter, itchy underwear?
ARNIE: Naw, I asked my boss for a raise and he muttered something about hell freezing over.
FRED: Wow, too bad...I see you've still got that black eye from when your girlfriend punched your lights out.
ARNIE: Yeah, I need a new job and a kinder, gentler relationship.
FRED: Think that will make you happy?
ARNIE: Damn right.
FRED: Maybe, but can you think of a time when there wasn't something you wanted to change about your life, even if only a little?
ARNIE: Well...no, I guess not.
FRED: And as you went through the days and month and years wanting something to be different, what time was it?
ARNIE: Oh, I see what you're getting at--it was always NOW.
FRED: Right, so if you can't be happy NOW, when WILL you be happy?
ARNIE: Maybe tomorrow?
FRED: Today is the tomorrow you dreamed about yesterday.
ARNIE: 1995...now THAT was the year I had it all !
FRED: The past is overrated. It only looks good to us through hindsight...come to think of it, that's the only way we can look at it. But if I know you, your head was stuck in the past and the future then too, living every moment but the one you're living.
ARNIE: So how does one live in the moment?
FRED: When I was a kid, and the carnival came to town, I would ride the merry-g0 round, There was a brass ring you had to try to grab as you circled around--whoever got it would win this giant stuffed panda bear--but the ring was always just out of reach. I'd get on and off those pretty horses, time after time, intent on spearing that ring...but I never got it. I never saw anyone else who did either.After a while it dawned on me that the ring was there just to keep me on the merry-go-round.
ARNIE: [guzzles his drink] Hee hee hee ha ha ha hoo hoo...hack...cough...choke...N ow I see it! Everybody's running around searching for something outside of themselves-
FRED: Like the other day when you turned the house upside down looking for your car keys, only to find them half an hour later in your pocket.
ARNIE: So, if I'm not happy with things the way they are--right this minute--then I'll NEVER be happy, because it's always now, and even though things change, things are always going to be the way that they are.
FRED: Go to the head of the class.
ARNIE: [frowns] But what about dreams...shouldn't I follow my dreams?
FRED: Of course--dreams are what life is about ! It's just that most people have trouble reconciling the dream the way it appears in their imaginations with the dream the way it turns up in what we call reality--they're never exactly the same, you know.
ARNIE: I THINK I get all of that...but my head is spinning.
FRED: So is the world.
ARNIE: I'm getting dizzy.
FRED: Not as dizzy as you're going to be--here comes another round of champagne.
ARNIE: It's almost midnight. Happy New Year, Fred !
FRED: Happy NOW Year, Arnie.
[Festoons, fireworks, dogs howling]
Fred and Arnie turn to look at a television in the corner of the room. As millions watch across the nation, the giant glowing ball in Times Square drops squarely onto Dick Clark's head, knocking him unconscious. A minute later he jump up, grabs the microphone and says, "Hell, that didn't faze me folks--I'm ninety-seven years old and still feel like a kid! [Leans into the camera] THE SECRET IS TO KEEP ON DANCIN ! "

-Finis



13 comments:

  1. so which is better - living in the moment or chasing after something that you think will make you happy in the future? I'm not quite sure myself but I guess that's what it means to be human- to second-guess yourself but doesn't mean people can't find happiness...

    anyway, happy new year!

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  2. You have certainly given ME plenty to think about Tim.

    Worrying about the future or lamenting over the past is a waste of energy but I believe we must always have dreams. Dreams = Hope and without hope life would be very lacklustre at times.

    Great post and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

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  3. Nice...very philosophical, the reason we're never happy I say is cause that's not the reason we're here. We're here to learn, you can do it happily or miserably..Always enjoy your writing...hope you had a great Christmas!

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  4. Happy New Year, Tim! I think sometimes reaching for the brass ring is just so darn tempting...you know, the old "hmmm...maybe if I caught it...things would be better...or different..."

    Maybe the secret to happiness is actually obliviousness?

    You got me thinking...

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  5. Thinking about the past hasn't made me happy. Thinking about the future fills me with trepidation. So I'm going to take your advice, live in the moment and do what the Bee Gees knew all along..."you should be dancin', yeah."

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  6. Great read, Tim...the secret to happiness as i know is laughter....I laugh for no reason, when I am sad for any or no reason...and i see that I am happy for no reason! :)

    wishes,
    devika

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  7. LISSA,
    To answer your question: Make preparing to receive your dream a part of your present day reality, instead of just a daydream :)

    GYPSY,
    Imagine your dream as if it has already been granted--there is real power in that.

    LORRAINE,
    I agree that we're here to learn...but why NOT do it happily by taking things in stride?

    TALON,
    Most of our politicians are oblivious...do they look like they're happy? LOL

    SELMA,
    Living in the moment ain't that easy--but it's a start if we catch ourselves dwelling in the past or future, and consciously bring ourselves back to the present. This needs to be repeated endlessly, if necessary, until we gradually notice being present is extending itself for longer periods of time.

    DEVIKA,
    When you are happy for NO reason--that's when you are TRULY happy !

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  8. Someone(?)once said:

    The seeds are the past,
    The buds, the dream;
    The flowers are the now,
    The seeds, the future.

    __I think Someone thought, the seeds grew the dreams and the now, and then became the future; the only way to realize contentment, is to reach beyond.
    _m

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  9. I always have goals that I'm pursuing, but actually attaining the goals is irrelevant. What makes me happy is the pursuit itself.

    Best wishes for the new year, Tim!

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  10. MAGYAR,
    Poetry...wisdom...have an amazing new year !

    KOBICO,
    Indeed, the pursuit is 99.99 percent of our efforts, attainment of the goal is but a moment in time--just another way of saying it's not the destination, it's the journey--that's why it's always important to replace and attained goal with a new one. Otherwise, there's a noticeable void...
    All happiness to you for the new year and beyond!

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  11. lol, Tim - you got me on that one!

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  12. Wish you and family a Very Happy New Year, dear Tim :)

    wishes,
    devika

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  13. huh.
    This is funny and interesting...

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