From: deviass@ecf.toronto.edu (Deviasse Robert)
Subject: Re: anti-happy people attack ARC
Organization: University of Toronto, Engineering Computing Facility
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 07:03:33 GMT

<IDJMW@ASUACAD.BITNET>(Unjolly Jo) explains...
> but but but but....
> 
> i agree with M. that us angsters are, deep down, just as romantic
> as anyone, and it isn't that we don't want to be happy, or that
> we can't be happy, or that we think we're too smart to be happy,
> we (and i really hesitate to generalize for all my buds on angst)
> may not have the trust, the faith, or the hope necessary to
> indulge in something that might seem as unattainable as love
> 
> hell, i'd enjoy a carriage ride in the park as much as the next person,
> silly little gifts for no reason, a kiss on the palm of my hand
> 
> it just ain't gonna happen anytime soon!
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


I hesitate to devulge the following. I'd rather not, but I need to do so to 
illustrate my point. So here goes.

RSN, I'll be celebrating my 24th birthday. But in my 24 years of life, I have
never fallen in love, I've never had a crush, or any sort of non-friendship
attraction.

So when will I fall in love for the first time? I doubt any time soon.
Does this mean I'll ever given up hope? Not on your life! I'd first die.

*verbose-philosophical-mode-on*

Why not? Because life is too short to let it slip away. Granted, you can't
make yourself fall in love or anyone fall for you. Love is a very
serendipitous thing, and trying to force love will only lead to self-
deception and ultimately, pain. But there are things that can prepare one
for love and increase the probability that it may happen. With so many
people in this world, why shouldn't it eventually happen. Sure you might
have to go through many relationships before it happens, but it should
happen eventually. 

While there's life, there's hope. But even a miracle like true love needs
a hand. You can't make dreams come true if you refuse to allow yourself
to dream and are too afraid to reach for them. And once attained you have
to work to keep the dream alive.

The road to happiness is not easy. Why should it be, and where would the
challenge be if it were? But it is there if you are brave enough to travel it.

So how do I know I'm not deceiving myself? I don't. But how do you know I
am? You don't know either. And that is the point. Life is strange. Just
what you've abandoned all hope and are ready to give up, something ALWAYS comes
along to change things. But you have to have your eyes open to see it, 
otherwise it will pass you by and you will sink deeper and deeper until the
sadness becomes a vicious cycle.

The alt.angst-folk reading this probably think that ARC is not a utopia.
It is a utopia, but not the kind you think it is. It's the utopia called 
"life". You laugh a little, you cry a little, and you dream, you always 
hold onto your dreams. That's one of the things that define ARC-folk, we 
know that sorrow is only TEMPORARY, and we are there for each other to 
make sure we don't loose sight of this. We're also not afraid to share our 
joys. This is not ALL there is to ARC, but it certainly is an important part.

Sorrow is not such a bad thing. It is one of the few times that you are forced 
to re-examine your life and learn about yourself. It's the time when you make 
fundamental changes in your life, and prepare yourself to grow. Even a paragon 
such as the Phoenix has to endure the agony of being consumed in flames (not 
net.flames mind you, they'd never survive that;-) ) before it can be 
reborn anew.

*verbose-philosophical-mode-off*

Take care, and stick around, you're welcome at ARC
    the forever idealistic and optimistic Robert


> jo
> (deep heavy sigh)

"... And you want to laugh,
     but have to sigh,
     When care is pressing you down a bit,
     Rest if you must, but never quit.
 ..."

-- 
/-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------\
| Robert N. Deviasse            |"The things that are not easily attained,    |
| EMAIL: g2devi@cdf.utoronto.ca |    are the things we cherish the most."     |
+-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------/