Pursuit of Happiness

Happiness is an interesting word because it means different things to different people. Cheeseburgers make some people happy while others clamor for world peace. Happiness seems relative to our own ideas and definitions. For the record, I love a good cheeseburger!

When our Founding Fathers decided we have the right to pursue our own happiness, they had a very specific idea in mind. They borrowed "the pursuit of happiness" from an ancient Greek named Aristotle who believed people were at their happiest when they were doing whatever it is they did best. In essence, society ran better because people were happily contributing by doing what they were skilled at.

We could argue about the philosophical implications of this and whether we think it's true. However, the intentions of the Founders is very clear: people should be able to have the chance to try and secure employment that is fulfilling and provides enough finances for them to live. The right to work is an essential part of the fabric of our nation. Now, the Founders weren't staring that everyone should be allowed to do whatever they wanted. They knew that would be unrealistic and lead to chaos. But they did think the right to pursue what we loved should be afforded to us. We should have a crack at it.

The problem is that life too often gets in the way. We all had dreams of being astronauts and sports stars and winning Oscars and Grammys. Most of us had to adjust those notions because reality is far more constraining than fantasy. We have become social workers and teachers and police officers and chefs... Happiness hasn't been abandoned as much as it has been refashioned. In a perfect world, it would be truly amazing if we could all be employed in roles that we were inclined to love and be passionate about. Sadly, this world is not perfect and we have learned to adapt and adjust.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about this idea. Where things begin to break down for me is the concept of pursuit. So many Americans never get to really pursue their chance at happiness because they are bogged down with circumstances that barely allow them to keep their heads above water. Poverty is cyclical and often children born into poor families have two strikes against them compared to kids their own age who were born into more prosperous circumstances.

Many of the children who have come through Samaritan House have not had a level of stability that offers them the chance to pursue anything. They are simply coping and surviving. If the parent(s) work long and odd hours, supervision is sacrificed. A consistent lack of financial resources leads to unhealthy nutritional habits which have been linked to everything from health problems to poor school performance. Inequality stretches across several areas.

The right to an opportunity is an epic concept. If we could live up to this idea, then America would benefit. And since there are so many people who often long to return back to "true American values," I cannot think of a better way to start than by doing what we can to reduce and eliminate homelessness. This seems like the right thing to do.