The Pursuit of Happiness

Kira and Aidan, Giza, 2010

I thank all of my friends and family who have given me so much support during these last two months, and especially when I was at my lowest point, about a month ago. Since then, I have begun to find my way forward, slowly climbing out of despair.

My Uncle Allan has reminded me that we humans live a long time.  Even though I am going through some really hard times right now, when put into context of, perhaps, 80 or 90 years in my lifetime and perhaps 40 more to come, these months of tribulation represent a blip. 

My friend Phyllis said that 'everything comes together for good', and another remarked that I had always seemed 'emasculated' in my marriage, and that the break-up of my marriage is an opportunity for me to live a happier life. 

My father-in-law Tom reminded me recently that the ancients thought much about how one might be happy.  To Socrates/Plato, it meant being a good person, which meant being virtuous, and for Aristotle virtue meant finding the mean between opposites.

I have this term off, and my goal is to identify those very things that bring me happiness. I know that I enjoy being around my family members, and perhaps never more so than in these last couple of months.  I have great kids, Aidan and Kira, a sister, brother-in-law Dean, dad, mother-in-law, mom, and father-in-law Tom.  In other times of my life, I have enjoyed going out to pubs with friends and simply hanging out, chatting, lauging, drinking fine beer.  At other times, I have played in Ultimate Frisbee and soccer leagues.  I really like managing and watching my son's soccer team, and although I have recently stepped down as Manager, I have been told that I can return when I am ready to do so.  I love the work that I do, and look forward to getting back into the classroom when I am fit.  Perhaps most of all, I want to find someone to love as much as I have loved my soon-to-be former wife.

And so, I have the intention of becoming a more social human being, a better family man, frisbee player, manager of my son's team, and professor.  I also want to find a partner and to love her completely. 

My goal is to be well on the road to a happier life by the time I turn 50, on January 5th, 2012.