Rob's Soapbox - Organized Happiness

<p>I’m stealing from Queenie…shut up, it’s my birthday week.</p><p><br></p><p>Last week, as we talked about things like vacations, concerts, and weddings, Queenie pushed back on how much she dislikes all forms of what she called “organized happiness,” further cementing the notion that she is the young female version of me. (Brilliant, self-aware, logical, and, most notably, humble).</p><p><br></p><p>The hard truth is that whenever it is that you die, the following events will not be on your list of the ten greatest moments of your life:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Your wedding</li><li>Your proms </li><li>Your high school or college graduation</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Most adults who have experienced any of those things, along with life, will tell you that those are the most overrated, overblown, and ultimately, unimportant moments in life. The marriage matters…the achievement of graduating and what you do with the experience matters; but the moments and events? Totally forgettable.</p><p><br></p><p>In fact, if we may parse words, you’ll also completely forget things you’re told you will remember for the rest of your life, that seem, on their face, to be monumental:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Buying your first house</li><li>Your first paycheck</li><li>The birth of your first child</li></ul><p><br></p><p>People lie about the last one because it’s sacrosanct to suggest or acknowledge anything remotely perceivable as negative when it comes to having and raising children. But, back in 2012, a nurse who had treated hundreds of dying patients over decades published a report on the thoughts of the dying. It was, typically, twisted by the media and only presented as a list of things people regret most, topped by not having the courage to live a life true to themselves, as opposed to the life others expected. While that’s a noteworthy thing for people to absorb and consider, those of us who took the time to read the entire report also got to read how completely unimpressed those at the end of their lives were with the process