Tears and Laughter: The right to pursue happiness comes with no guarantees
Like life and liberty, all of us – men and women alike – have the unalienable right to pursue happiness. It is given to us by our creator, protected by our government, and stated in the Declaration of Independence.
People are born into the world with the natural desire to find more around the next bend. America was founded by people who were focused on finding contentment through moving forward with a purpose and goals. Documenting it as a national mandate is what helps make us uniquely American.
Freedom to pursue our individual definitions of happiness should in itself ensure joy. But even declared and protected and blended with our countless other rights, happiness is not guaranteed.
Our modern world is equipped with snares like stress, worry and distraction that trap the motivation to pursue happiness. And there are thieves, such as addiction, abuse, or poverty that can steal the wherewithal from many to even try.
Science points to part of the problem possibly lying within the makeup of the brain and the way it processes happiness. One part balances empathy for others while another attempts to hold attention on what makes us genuinely happy. For some this produces energy, for others angst.
A thriving industry has formed selling self-help merchandise and tools aimed at helping secure happiness. There are books, apps, life coaches, and yoga instructors. Americans have also learned to supplement any gaps in happiness with prescribed antidepressants, or to self-medicate using alcohol or food. Even children are often diagnosed with depression, sometimes as a result of bullying, sometimes in reaction to their parent’s inability to find and maintain happiness.
It is likely that most people, when asked, would say they are happy. A smile though, can serve as a disguise.
Last Sunday afternoon in sunny Florida, a 14-year-old foster child, Nakia Venant, livestreamed her death of Facebook. She made a noose from a scarf and broadcast on social media for two hours before a friend saw her body hanging, and called the police. The post was quickly removed, and the headline of her death streamed through newsfeeds virtually unnoticed for days.
Last Tuesday, co-founder of the Allman Brother’s Band, Butch Trucks, held a pistol to his head inside his West Palm Beach condo, and pulled the trigger. He was 69.
Two mothers in a community just south of Wilcox County have taken their own lives in recent weeks. One was found in her car in a Walmart parking lot. The other took a handful of pills and intentionally drowned herself in her bathtub.
Suicide rates continue to climb, especially in women, and in children between 10 and 14. There is an average of 121 suicide deaths per day in America.
Be open, if you feel the conviction, to people near you. Be aware of someone placed in your path who may be struggling with thoughts of suicide. Sometimes just kindly listening nonjudgmentally to someone can start them on a path toward healing. The 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Any doctor, hospital, teacher, or church will gladly offer assistance, and if a person is in immediate danger, call 911.
Amanda Walker is a columnist with The West Alabama Watchman, Al.com, The Thomasville Times, and The Wilcox Progressive Era. For more information, visit her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AmandaWalker.Columnist.