While croaking with the frogs in a pond, that philosophical American pundit, Henry David Thoreau said:

The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind. There is no play in them, for this comes after work. But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.

And if you thought that assessment is depressing, he continues:

When we consider what, to use the words of the catechism, is the chief end of man, and what are the true necessaries and means of life, it appears as if men had deliberately chosen the common mode of living because they preferred it to any other. Yet they honestly think there is no choice left.

Every one knows this this quote, and every one agrees with it and with contemptuous noses look down on our neighbors and think they are the “desperate masses.” Of course, I sitting on the pinacle of my valley thinks I have an answer to his unstateed question of Why.

I think it is addiction. Addiction always begins as a choice, but this choice degenerates with delight until what gave us momentary pleasure becomes an end. Addiction is simply excessive consumption of something, and in our case, I think we are often addicted to action. Doing things is a good thing, and when we do something worthwhile, we try to duplicate our previous accomplishments. Soon we identify ourselves by this “work” and do things in order to justify our existence.

The sequence in our logic is pretty clear. In order to have stuff, we need money, and in order to have money, we need a job, therefore, we need skills, therefore we need to be actively working, studying, ad nauseum. QED.

But we hate to question our original assumption as if it were a sacred cow. We want stuff, because it will give us happiness. Of course, all of us know that statement is wrong, but actions speak pretty clearly.

Few of us are happy with our life, and yet, each of us chose that life. Therein lies the despare.

But is anything really wrong with our lives? I don’t think so. Sure, there are improvements, but once again, improving our life is a slippery slope to the addiction of action. I think the first step is to stop and enjoy our life… yes, with all of its problems and dirt.

Sometimes when my kids are fighting and screaming and giving me a lucious headache, I try to stop and enjoy it. I’ll admit that at first, I’m tempted to hark back the pleasant past when there was just one infant that slept all the time, or fantasize about a future when the kids are older and the house is more quiet.

But I should be enjoying the screams. I mean, soon enough these toddlers won’t be screaming as toddlers, and I’ll miss that. Hrm… how did I get so preachy?

Regardless, it is time for me to sit and soak in the vibrant Life that I brought into my existence. Perhaps then my headache will go away.