Our Happiness, Our Quest

By HEATHER CATHLEEN COX
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com 

Heather Cathleen Cox

One dreary night, a group of ten (conceivably ignorant) high schoolers dodge the lameness of adult supervision and approach a nearby abandoned house, reputed as haunted, where they hope to catch a glimpse of an alleged ghoul. After making their way through the home’s front entrance, the kids are immediately locked inside.

Although the house seemed to have plenty of windows and doors from the outside, inside there’s no apparent exit. Now hostages of the house, which is a creaky building seemingly full of secret passages and evil spooks, the group of friends begins turning on one another. These kids, not unlike lambs at a slaughterhouse, decidedly begin responding to strange noises by walking into situations of solitude.

The impervious children – except, of course, in the case of the hunkiest male and most scantily-clad female – become subject to certain death.

I’m not summarizing this week’s biggest blockbuster, at least not intentionally. In fact, what makes this example interesting to me is a simple concept to which many of us fall prey. These kids, like many of us are inclined to do, acted hastily on an unsound idea, or in delusion.

Our brains are the most complex computing devices known to modern man, yet researchers believe even the most brilliant human will use only a miniscule amount of the brain’s potential ingenuity. It’s estimated that an average human brain generates around 70,000 thoughts per day. We neither can nor should act on every thought that pops into our noggin.

If we were watching these high schoolers on the silver screen, we would be led (by the film’s writer and director) to believe the kids begin taking risky chances because they have no good choices at their disposal. The smart person, contrarily, understands what the situation really entails.

Ultimately, life is not a matter of chance. It’s a matter of choice, and there is always a “better” choice if we’re willing to be honest, diligent and humble. Yes, always.

If just one high school ghost hunter had used discernment in place of delusion and had chosen to ask their parent, teacher or even a hall monitor for advice before visiting the supposedly haunted house, the situation could have panned out differently.

When we don’t balance our choices with wisdom, sound advice, and hard facts, it’s probable that at least some of our actions are deluded. I once saw a commercial attempting to sell commemorative (whatever that means) silver US dollars – for five dollars a pop! I remember thinking, “Wow. What audacity, charging $5 for a coin that’s only worth $1.” The fact is, that commercial aired for months, so someone, somewhere must’ve thought giving away $4 was a good deal.

I admit to having been awe-struck by sleek ads with gimmicky smooth-talkers who preach in favor of impractical infomercial products, who sell “life-altering” health devices, or who look fan-flipping-tastic in a pair of embarrassingly costly blue jeans. But I usually get one of those sinking, gut feelings before taking the expensive plunge to my wallet. The truth sets in and finally reminds me: I am not the sum of my possessions.

The truth is, we Americans live in a society that advocates and even glorifies well-known individuals who act hastily; we live in a society that teaches people to laugh when celebrities get arrested for acts of idiocy or scoff when political figures are caught in disenchanting scandals.

There is no scapegoat for injustice, especially not mockery. And contrary to popular opinion, stupidity is not unavoidable. It is delusional to think happiness can exist outside of our personal situations because we can never escape ourselves. Likewise, we cannot measure our success with any gauge other than our own plight. Obsessing over someone else’s actions is an unsound waste of our time, and until we choose to embrace our own reality – however great or dismal it may appear – and decidedly choose to work with what we have rather than what we wish we had, we’ll never be truly happy.

A teacher whom I sincerely respect, Bishop T.D. Jakes, says, “I’ve never met anyone who succeeded by accident.” Let’s assume that’s true, at least for Jakes, and we can also infer that failure comes because we don’t plan for success.

Acting on impulse can cost us more than time, money and integrity. Those kids weren’t seeking anything good when they set out to explore that evil, old house. They were hunting for trouble, and trouble is what they found. Proverbs 11:27 says, “Whoever seeks goodwill finds goodwill, but evil comes to those who search for it.”

Once we begin searching for a complete life — a life full of answers rather than possessions, full of relationships rather than people and full of hope rather than pipe dreams – we can escape the propensity to believe the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.

To read this story in print, pick up a copy of the September 23 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.