What is life if not a seemingly quixotic pursuit towards happiness? Why was Mad Men so good at portraying the things we do to obstruct and delay ourselves while on this winding journey? Set against the backdrop of the 1960’s advertising industry, it did just that. See, we are all merely bags of flesh and emotions, with wants and desires that serve to propel us through this world at light speed. Along the way we might even think that we’re realizing these desires as we accumulate things like a successful career, wealth, a possibly endless parade of romantic partners, or even the attention of having a social media following. But is the money enough? Does having 100 likes on a Facebook post really satiate all those things that make you twist and turn at night? Of course not. Hell, I could get laid every day from here until eternity and I can honestly say that I just don’t see my fancy being tickled in all the right ways. We are human. We want for more.

Goldfish may be known for their abysmal sense of memory, but humanity isn’t that far behind. We forget what we’re even doing here most of the time. That which should truly drive us is often obfuscated as we breathe in the miasma of our reality, as we acquire all the things we’re told that we need. Sometimes we might need a gentle reminder. A nudge, if you will. These come in various forms and one must set out with an open mind if they are ever to have these reminders, or signs, present themselves. The main character on Mad Men, Don Draper, needed the same kind of help that many of us are currently seeking, which is probably why he conjured up a vision of recently deceased boss, Bert Cooper (played masterfully throughout the show’s run by veteran actor Robert Morse). It has to be seen to be believed:

Marvelous, wasn’t it? Robert Morse has been a treasure since he burst onto the scene way back in 1961 when he starred in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying on Broadway. Incidentally, I performed several roles in the same play my senior year of high school. But I digress.

When we bask in the warmth of the sun’s rays or when we casually stroll through the moonlit night that we call life, we have to remember that these things our inherently ours. Through our sheer existence and shared experience there are a great many joys that we are entitled to: the aforementioned sun and moon, something as simple as a purring cat curled up next to you in eternal companionship, or the supposedly complicated abstract that we call love. Part of discovering the happiness is understanding that a lot of it is already there. It’s there in these absolutes that we can deny no person. It’s there in the people who walk into our lives. Are we really meant to enter and exit each others’ orbits with little to no meaning? Nahhhhhhh. We find ourselves there because we are meant to love in one way or another. When these things present themselves we really ought to contemplate them better. These are all components essential to our survival. These are some of the things that allow us to be happy and they’re closer than we think.

I suffer from persistent depressive disorder. If I’m being honest, nothing is as easy as just waking up and smelling the roses. “Just think happy thoughts! Everything will be ok! Have you tried not being depressed?” Yeah, I’ve heard it all before. Without medication and therapy I don’t think I’d even be able to write about these things. Even worse, I wouldn’t be able to live them. Context is important when you’re trying to convey a particular message. If you find yourself wanting for more, if you don’t know what you want, if you live to prevent your leaps forward towards happiness, if you want to love and be loved but don’t think you know how…there’s work to be done for all of that. When things start coming together a bit better, when the fog enveloping your brain evaporates, when everything starts to feel more real and within grasp…this is when you’ll find yourself somewhere like I am. Reflective and ready. This shit definitely isn’t as easy as it should be, but it doesn’t have to be as difficult as we make it for ourselves.

I’m still figuring it all out. Despite the way I act at times I do not know eveything nor do I believe that I ever will. But I do know this:

Love can come to everyone. The best things in life are free.