JOLLIBEE'S
CURRENT tagline says a lot. Other than effectively cajoling the old
and the young to head to the nearest Jollibee stores and pig out on
a giant serving of Chicken Joy, it is an aphorism itself, a bold philosophy
subtly stated in a rather commercial way. Somehow when you come to
think of it, it's not as bad as any other instructions on how to get
a hold of your life, and be your happiest. It's an active response
to life. It doesn't require you to do this, do that; all you have
to do is well, be happy.
My friends often remark that my happiness is contagious, that I
am the eternal optimist, that I don't seem to have any problems and
worries. Wrong. I am one of those tried and tested by human fragility.
I falter. I encounter problems that more often than not, render me
weak. But the thing is, I know that in such cases when there is a
big plight hovering over me, I have only two choices: wallow over
the depression and be miserable, or face the problem, get over with
it, and cheer up!
Sometimes I ask myself if I'm just too crazy to try not to be depressed.
I hate depression. It is an unproductive emotion that pulls you down
all the more. Depression is good for a millisecond because it gives
you a sense of purpose to get over that sadness and start anew. But
when the wallowing and the moping goes for a long time, when you think
there is no reason to move on, when life is just one giant crap to
you, that's almost close to being fatal. You feel you don't have anything
to live for, and that's worse than dying.
I do not say that I do not cry, mope, complain, grumble. I do those.
We are given the power to cry so we can easily ward off sadness instead
of having all the emotional cobwebs trapped inside our bodies. So
after the expression, the letting out, the catharsis, we do not have
the excuse to remain in such state. We do not have the excuse to ignore
all the other better and more beautiful things in life.
I try to be happy everyday. I smile a lot. I laugh at the corniest
jokes. I look at the people around me, and I know there is no reason
for me to frown. Yes, I do count my blessings. These blessings do
not come in magnanimous proportions; it is true that the sweetest
blessings I can think of are those little, simple ones, like a phone
call from my best friend, my brothers' naughtiness, my bedroom, bananacake,
Quezon Hall, Mcdonalds, a Simpsons episode, and the MRT.
Mababaw raw kaligayahan ko, my friend's college classmate commented
when she got to hear my elation every time I ride the MRT. I know
that is true, and I am proud of it. Though some people think I'm nuts
for being so up and cheery in an angsty world, I am proud that I have
always the smile and the cheerful countenance to acknowledge how life
is so beautiful, and how it can remain that way regardless of the
ubiquity of mundane atrocities. Life is not perfect, it will never
be. It is just a matter of having the eyes to see that life is.
There is nothing more comforting than facing each day with a happy
heart. It makes problems more trivial, and it drives you to be at
your best in whatever you do. It is the surest way to make the most
out of your transient stay in earth. It brings you closer to the Almighty
God, for after all, He is the ultimate happiness.
Bee happy!
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Samantha is a student of the UP College of Mass Communication.
