Dear Lisa:

I never felt … content with the word happy, felt uncomfortable with it because I so rarely felt it. And I was puzzled: do other people feel it, always, or a lot? Happy Birthday… I wish you happiness… “the right to pursue happiness” (in the constitution)- what is all that about?

Happiness is fleeting in its nature. Animals don’t seem happy to me, not much of the time. A dog seems happy at times, but not all the time. I don’t think it is doable for any animal/ person to be always happy, not even most of the time. Happiness involves excitation of the nervous system, and I don’t like it much (having Tourette Syndrome, happy involves more tics, and tics distress me, so I prefer contentment on happiness any time!)

anita