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I just got off the phone with my sister who called to tell me what she and her husband had just done. Before she said anything, I knew something was up because she called me at a time of day that was unusual for her. Not only that, but her voice sounded so happy when I answered. She was actually giddy. Then I got the story. On a wild and crazy whim, they bought a new car. A Corvette. A convertible. They saw it and fell in love with it, and they bought it. Just like that.
They didn't need another car; they have three already and they don't plan on getting rid of any of them. They just saw this Vet and knew they had to have it. That's all there was to it. They're both retired and are mostly winding down. Their days are spent like so many of us of a certain age; going to the market, going to doctors, running errands, puttering around the house, watching the grandchildren, you know the routine. They tend not to be impulsive.
And that is why this was so wonderful. They did something that wasn't necessary, they did something just because it made them happy. And what's wrong with that? Not a damn thing. They broke out of their comfort zone and made an impulsive purchase for an item they certainly didn't need, especially at their age. But maybe, just maybe they did need it, maybe it was just exactly what they needed at that moment to goose up their lives a little and to open a window for some fresh air, so to speak.
My sister and brother-in-law put magic into their lives. They found a magic lamp that happens to be in the form of a Corvette. They found their laughing place, like Br'er Rabbit did in Disney's “Song of the South.” No matter what it cost them, it was money well spent. How many of us could use a little zip to our lives? It started me thinking about what form my magic lamp would take. In my case it wouldn't be a car, but then what would it be? Interesting question.
I don't know if my magic lamp of happiness would be a thing I would buy. Maybe it is, but for the life of me I can't think what it would be. I don't want a boat or a mountain cabin or a motorcycle. Boats and cabins require a great deal of maintenance and I'm not in the market for maintenance. Motorcycle? Even as a young man I never had any interest in motorcycles so I certainly have zero interest in motorcycles now.
I've never had really extravagant tastes in things. Expensive bottles of champaign or owning a huge mansion with 14 bedrooms and 10 baths doesn't excite me. And the thought of jumping on a plane and traveling to far off adventures actually nauseates me. Buying a new suit used to bring me happiness, but that was years ago when I had places to wear a suit. Where would I wear it today? To Trader Joe's?
Recently I've thought about getting a dog, but I don't know if I'm ready to commit myself to that right now. Yes, dogs are terrific but they require attention and care. And you've got to be home with them. I don't think I can manage that obligation. It isn't the magic lamp for me, at least not now.
Maybe the answer is, you don't know what your magic lamp is until you see it. It's like back in 1964 when United States Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart said that while he readily could not define the term “hard core pornography” he would know it when it saw it. So maybe finding one's key to happiness is like that. No, I don't mean hard core pornography is the key to happiness, I mean you'll know it when you see it.
Like the Br'er Rabbit song “Everybody's got a Laughing Place,” Br'er Rabbit finally found his laughing place. Maybe one day I'll find my laughing place too.
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