too soon old, too late smart

ok, so the pinch-hit preacher this morning quoted this book by gordon livingston, a psychiatrist who muses about the thirty things we need to know now....the amazon reviews were interesting....especially this quote...."three components of happiness are something to do, someone to love, and something to look forward to," and he reminds us that "love is demonstrated behaviorally"-that is, actions count more than words. In his discussion of "Happiness is the greatest risk," he considers how our fear of losing happiness is often a roadblock to our experiencing it.....his description of happiness is remarkably close to my own simple version.....i know that i am always at my perkiest when i feel usefully engaged, when i have my loved ones either around or in reasonably regular contact, and when i have something to look forward to.....read this as a trip to paris if you will......this isn't the part quoted by the preacher....he was going on and on about maps not being in synch with the real, touchable world...or some such.......but i digress.....from happiness....a state that i consider to be far from giddy, and not even close to smug......happiness is an ethereal moment that one identifies only as it is passing....but such moments are precious and worth the effort.....