“May happiness,
pursue you,
catch you
often, and,
should it
lose you,
be waiting
ahead, making
a clearing
for you.”
-A.R. Ammons
I read this poem by A.R. Ammons in a class last semester. Even though I’m an English major, I hate poetry. Sure, Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss are pretty decent but Shakespeare and I will probably never be on good terms. That’s why I was so incredibly shocked by Ammons’ words. They were so simple and yet everything that I wanted to hear. I was instantly comforted and changed.
True happiness comes to people from places we never expected.
The key word in that statement is “true.” I feel like a huge part of the lives we lead is based on the joy we search for. Some people go a negative route that focuses on the superficial and the material influences of the world to make them feel better for even just a small period of time, some find a form religion that eases their personal demons, and some become obsessed or overwhelmed by the concept of happiness and give up on the quest. I want to tell everyone that I do believe that the quest is worth the reward.
We have to keep moving forward no matter what. It gets better and there will always be something so great waiting for you down the road if you just keep going.
Being an elementary education major, I prefer Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss also. Shakespeare has never really been high on my list since I had to read "The Taming of the Shrew" for a literature class. His words are simple, but his form in also very interesting too. I'll have to look into some more of Ammons' work.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post. I honestly believe that too many people are overcome with work and school and other things that stress them to remember to take time to be happy. My policy is to live life to the fullest and experience everything at least once. Everyone should live in the moment and do exactly what makes them happy-- hoping its no harm to anyone else!
ReplyDeleteThanks for you post Jamie! It was so positive! I agree wholeheartedly with what you said. I think it's our purpose in life to be happy and to bring joy to others. It's easy to lose sight of that goal because of the culture we live in. The world, but America especially, is so focused on what the future will bring that many people forget to live in the present. We try to fit ourselves into this mode of what we think people are suppose to be and what they're suppose to do that we end up not living for ourselves. I believe in living with no regrets. If you want to do something, do it. Also, loved the poem. I am definitely not a Shakespeare fan and I find it extremely hard to get into poetry. If you haven't had the chance yet though I love Maya Angelou and Pablo Neruda. Different themes and styles but they're fun and often inspiring to read.
ReplyDeleteJamie,
ReplyDeleteI loved reading your blog! I am a huge Shel Silverstein fan. My favorite poem of his is: Hug O' War...
"I will not play at tug o' war
I'd rather play at hug o' war,
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs
Where everyone giggles
And rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses
And everyone grins
And everyone cuddles
And everyone wins."
Your post instantly brought me back to that poem. It's hard to always be happy but happiness is definitely something everyone should strive for. It's our motivation in life.
Jamie,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post I instantly thought of a quote from One Tree Hill that completely refers to what you are talking about. It is probably my favorite quote of all time and I put it everywhere I'll see it.
It goes, "I feel like people get lost when they think of happiness as a destination. We’re always thinking someday we’ll be happy, and we’ll get that job or that car or that person in our lives that will fix everything; but happiness is a mood, and it’s a condition, not a destination. It’s like being tired or hungry. It’s not permanent. It comes and goes and that’s okay, and I feel that if people thought of it that way they’d find happiness a lot more often."
I really like that because, like you said, we are always searching for something, someone, or ANYTHING that we think will make us happy. Really, we have to make ourselves happy. Yes, other people, things, animals, etc. can make us feel happy, but they do not dictate our true happiness. Also, happiness does not have to be a permanent thing. It can come and go because that is how life is. Everything is constantly changing so we can't be completely happy ALL the time, bad things are GOING to happen to you. It's all in how you handle what happens to you. If we just go through life trying to be the best person we can be to ourselves and other people, even if other don't see it that way, and try to have the best day we can then I consider that winning.
Your post automatically brought a smile to my face :) I'm not much one for poetry either. I always try to steer clear from it, but there's something just so pure and simple about this particular poem. We all must move forward in life and learn to accept our fate. According to Ammons, we must realize that happiness will always be one step ahead of us. It's constantly waiting for us to grasp it. Knowing that happiness will always be in my future is comforting to me. Everyone wants to be happy. I like how Ammons also addresses the fact that in some parts of our life we will not have happiness (that's expected), but he tells us not fear that we will eventually gain it back.
ReplyDeleteJamie, that's one of my favorite poems :) It's short, sweet, and to the point. I also like that it shows happiness as an outside character, as if we don't actually control happiness. Things happen in the world that make us happy or sad, and all we can hope for is that there are more happy things to focus on. Everyone's always searching for happiness, but like Shannon pointed out from One Tree Hill, "happiness is a mood...not a destination." We can control it by doing things that make us happy and avoiding things that don't, but it's enjoying the little things in life, like reading that poem, that truly makes people happy.
ReplyDeleteHey Jamie! I really don't enjoy poetry that much either but reading this was really uplifting that I really liked to the message that it's trying to give. Happiness is one of the most difficult yet essential things someone can achieve in their life, that's why I think that in the end you shouldn't go around looking for happiness, as the poem explains "happiness should
ReplyDeletepursue you, catch you." So don't stress and just live your life the best you know how =]
Jamie, you're so right about happiness. I think people need to lose what they have so they appreciate it more when it's back. It's the same idea that the food you make yourself taste's better when you eat it. I lost my phone the other day for a few days and was pretty freaked out for a while but then I relaxed and everything was fine. When I got it back, I realized how much I appreciated it. I think, as a species, we have lost touch with what it takes to be truly happy. We need to take some simple steps back to our roots in order to straighten ourselves out.
ReplyDelete