Contemplations on Joy

The last couple days have been interesting. We had areally excellent discussion in Shakespeare yesterday, all about the two productions we saw this weekend. I loved Hamlet so much and I wish they filmed it like they do some theatre productions, but I don't think they're doing that for this one. Sometimes that class gets a little boring (two hours is a really long time) but it was great yesterday. In globo right now we're talking about climate change and sustainable development, which is pretty depressing sometimes. I don't know what I can do about it, other than the stuff I already try to do like recycling and trying to not produce lots of waste. It's all so doomsday and it makes me so sad that people don't see what they're doing to the planet.

This is related to a discussion I had with Dad tonight. I'm feeling increasingly like Plato and his general fear and hatred of the masses. I feel it acutely as we prepare for this election; I live in terror that people will elect another republican president. Our country, our environment, our economy, our military, can't take another 4 years of idiocy. I fear the stupid herd of the masses and what their decisions are doing to our world and our country.

We went to a play on Monday and it was just awful. It was very existential and basically culminated with the idea that none of us really exist. It was horrible. Whatever your personal belief system, please believe me that we are all someone and we all matter and there is a part of us that is eternal. It makes me so sad that people watch plays like this one that makes them question everything and their own existence. Should we not seek after things that encourage good things? And please don't just smile and nod and pat me on the head. How much better would we all be if we truly chased after joy, not just happiness, or satisfaction, but true joy. Why contemplate these depressing and generally worthless ideas when it is so clear that YES we do exist and what we are and what we do does matter.

Choose joy and hope, not despair.

Take all the wonderful things in the world, because they are innumberable, and use each one as a brick to build a wall around yourself to protect against all the darkness that also exists.

Y'all are some of my bricks, I hope I'm one of yours.