The intention, for me, behind the creation of this thread is an inquiry into
happiness as it is perceived - and conceptualized - in modern society today.
The number one contender in my life is social interaction (there's no happenstance, IMO, in the
rapid upsurge in Internet message board popularity - not to mention the social networking phenomena we've seen explode in the past 7-10 years!! *cough*BluelightFTW*cough*
).
I was also influenced by documentaries such as as
Happy and, even more so, the documentary
This Emotional Life.
In each documentary, the key to pervasive (though somewhat inconsistent, as per the human condition) happiness in one's life is a solid social network. We evolved according to the principles of living within cooperative groups, mating with partners who feel the same about us as we do about them, and thriving in the context of engaging life amongst others who have interests similar to our own.
In short, my family, friends and professional/social networks are what make me the most happy in life, despite times of great duress and disparity. My relationships with animals, namely my beloved cat Omar and former feline sidekick Princess, continue to perform wonders for my inner spiritual contentment when human interaction becomes, for whatever reason, elusive or temporarily impossible.
But they can never substitute for the intrinsic power of
the human connection.
I believe that is what binds us, The Dark Side, together in such harmonious social matrimony.
My eternal love and gratitude to all of you who contribute to the success of our community
~ Vaya
)
