Day of Happiness

I was alerted yesterday by one of my fellow blippers (Earthdreamer) that today is the first International Day of Happiness, organized by the United Nations. He thought that we should contribute to this event in the form of our photographs today. Which led me to think about how you portray happiness and is it even possible to be happy on command just because the United Nations wants us to be? The answer to the last question can only be no and I can think of many areas in this world where people are far too occupied merely trying to survive to give their happiness any thought at all.

I'm far from certain that such a day serves any useful purpose apart from making human beings even more agonized than normal because they feel they are missing out because they don't feel happy while assuming the rest of us are bathed in seas of light and floating about on cloud nine.

Most of us are quite content to muddle on as best we can without that additional burden of having to be happy.

But enough of that. I needed to think more positively about how to take a happy photograph and I was mulling that over in bed this morning before getting up and putting on my happiness. And I then realized that the answer was literally staring me in the face. It was hanging on my bedroom wall. It was my small quilt (17 x 22") called Flames of Passion. It was made in 2008 as one of four hangings inspired by the four elements. This one, needless to say, represents fire. In it I put representations of all forms of passion, both things I feel passionate about as well as events usually associated with passion. It was my favourite out of the 4 and in fact, a piece that makes me feel happy to know I made it.

Passion as you probably already know too, doesn't always produce happiness. In fact, it can very well have the opposite effect. But ideally passion produces happiness, and vice versa.

So here it is: my contribution to happiness for this happy day. But I must add (just to spoil it a bit) that I sincerely hope no money has been spend by the United Nations on this day. I can think of just about a million things of much more use, such as making sure that everyone in this world has fresh water to drink. Which is a shameless plug (yes, I intended that!) for my favourite charity Wateraid. We send them a donation today and I hope that will keep some people at least alive so that they too can go on their on search for happiness.

One final thought: can happiness truly be a human right? Isn't it much more a choice we can all make for ourselves? But only after we know we are safe, healthy, well fed and nourished, and have shelter. That's what the United Nations should be concentrating on, and when it's done humans can decide whether or not to be happy for themselves!