Buying Joy

 

“We try to get [joy] through entertainment.  We pay someone to make jokes, tell stories, perform dramatic actions, sing song.  We buy the vitality of another’s imagination to divert and enliven our own poor lives.  The enormous entertainment industry in America is a sign of the depletion of joy in our culture.  Society is a bored, gluttonous king employing a court jester to divert it after an overindulgent meal.  But that kind of joy never penetrates our lives, never changes our basic constitution.  The effects are extremely temporary- a few minutes, a few hours, a few days at most.  When we run out of money, the joy trickles away.” -Eugene Peterson

 

This week is all about our stuff.  The good, the bad, and the joyless living.  Question for the week: When you have a bad day, what’s your typical routine to restore the joy?  Shopping?  Eating?  Exercising?  What’s your go-to fix?

Following and listening,
Ginger

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=728178483 Elizabeth Andronic

    Either eating or running for me. Sometimes, I’ll even throw in a good cry just for the heck of it.

    • Anonymous

      I’m pretty similar.  I tend to jump back and forth between exercise or eating.  Every now and then I throw in random shopping.  It takes everything in me and literally talking to myself out loud: “Ginger, this will not fix what hurts.  This is not the answer.”  Thanks for your honesty, Liz!