It seems as if a great number of American women have taken our Declaration of Independence quite literally when Thomas Jefferson penned the famous phrase, "...preservation of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." It is widely acknowledged that achieving a state of sustained happiness is not only impossible, but absurd, as well. Imagine believing that the primary purpose of adult life is the same as when merely a toddler! Putting forth the narrative that adults can and should make the attainment of this emotional Holy Grail the priority of their lives has been the goal of Madison Avenue for many, many decades now as these marketing geniuses have explored the depths of human frailty in attempt to [quite successfully, mind you] convince actual adults that buying this or that can make them sustainably happy. And who can deny that appealing to one's brittle emotional state cannot be a powerful tonic? Is it any wonder that many women [and a fair number of men] seem to have an unquenchable thirst for [every damn thing]? One of the problems with such a mindset is that many of these women enlist their mates in this never ending crusade [and then blame them for their inability to achieve the impossible]. I would imagine this must be one of the significant factors influencing women's decisions to initiate 80% of all divorces in this country. It seems to this observer that it is time for women to take stock of what has transpired over the past century and come to the realization that adult life is no picnic for anybody, nor can it be. If your goal is remaining in a state of happiness, it's NOT going to happen. The best one can hope for is contentment, a state that everyone can work towards [achieving the proper balance in one's life being key]. It's time to liberate those around you from having to dredge you up from the depths of another failed attempt at emotional nirvana. Just go with it and take what the world offers [not such a bad deal]. Leave the fantasies to those who refuse to see what's right in front of their faces and must remain in the world of make-believe. Set yourselves free by accepting that life is all things good and bad, that most personal growth comes not from happiness or success, but instead, from failure and disappointment. In any case, it's time to grow-up. The bell just rang and recess is over!
