woah. i know. i hope you can handle it.
do not freak out. because i am. and well... we can't all be freaking out now can we?
the course: dramatic literature
the teacher: dr.m
the test: approaching too quickly.
this is the kind of class that makes you enjoy learning. it is one of those. the kind that is actually interesting and makes you question why all of your other teachers lack the passion for the subject they have chosen to educate others on. thank you dr.m for that passion and passing it on to your students. can i have an a please? kidding. somewhat. but seriously thank you.
the test shall be covering all of the greats; aristotle, sophocles, shakespeare, johnson, calderon, moliere and my new love aristophanes.
what brought about this new love?
his premise for the plot structure of old comedy.
clearly.
makes me blush. makes me swoon. would tug at any single girls heart strings.
the name of this educational aphrodisiac: "the happy idea".
not to be confused with the cinderella happy ending.
or the kind that comes from visiting your local "masseuse".
let me lay it down for you.
aristophanes, a quite dead fellow, came up with a plot structure for "old comedy".
the main character has some devastating dilemma, he must marry his mother, a plague has covered the city or she must have her brothers child. you know, the normal dilemmas we all have. awkward old comedy.
then the AHA! moment,
"the happy idea": the main character comes up with an imaginative, somewhat impractical, solution to said problem. something small or grand that helps make the situation seem a little less dire.
dr.m began explaining to the class what a brilliant idea it was for all of us to have our very own versions of "the happy idea" to make our every day seem a little easier and most importantly a little more HAPPY!
our class began discussing different ways we incorporate "the happy idea" in our day to day lives. to each their own but, here was our version which i happen to adore:
a cup of tea. a joint in the morning. dancing alone. your own theme music playing in your head throughout the day. fancy hats. fancy clothes. exercise of some sort (i choose walking to get coffee or dancing in my room). top off with champagne.
all the other stuff; studying, to do lists, bills and the never fun task of figuring out the next stop well, that all falls in between.
human nature leaves us wanting more. it is not our fault. we want more time, more success, more money, more friends, more champagne and mainly more love.
we get so caught up in wanting more from our lives that our perspective becomes skewed. one forgets the little things in our daily routines that make us happy.
somedays we feel we need more time, when all we really need is to slow down.
somedays we want more love, when all we really need is to love ourselves.
we focus so much on the end goal that we miss everything going on around us. we become so caught up in the wanting more and wanting success that we end up taking for granted the wonderful little moments in life that truly take our breath away. taking for granted our friends, our families, true love.
taking for granted a beautiful fall day, a postcard from an old friend, happy hour on wednesdays, a great conversation, the first bite of a fantastic meal or even something as simple as a loving glance from a friend you have so dearly missed.
i dont know if this is what aristophanes meant from "the happy idea".
i do however know this.
i have never been happier.
raising my glass. thinking of you.
fondly,
katherine cabiness
