Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-26

In LQeSe Gays OF TIE dVoin
bomb one is probably being ia
cetious in saying that the hyena
is the only living thing capable
of laughter. Yet, as you look
around you and consider the at
titudes of your friends and ac-
quaintances. you will agree that
cheerfulness does not rage
throughout your community in
epidemic force. People are on the
sad side.
Like actors, their moods often
are cued in by the backdrop and
the rest of the scenery. All
around us are the black curtain
of potential war and destruction.
So man acts his part in accord
ance with the script.
Where are the carefree.
spirited days of the '20s? If you
are old enough, you remember
the easy, casual meetings with
people; the bounce and enthusi-
asm of your friends: the light
hearted, small talk. / think there
were more parties and more plain
neighborly visiting in those days.
Or is it the viewer and not the
viewed who has changed? Per-
haps the world is as ebullient,
effervescent and optimistic for
the future as it was when I was
younger. I am open to conviction
but I have my doubts. I have sat
in at youngsters parties, and the
boys and girls seem more solemn
and prematurely grown-up than
we did at their age. Solemnity
and seriousness and lack OF
cheer are catching: like the
measles. The parents are over
burdened with cares and the
kids inevitably come to share the
mood.
All Out of Proportion
Personally. I believe man Isl
beginning to feel sorry for him
self all out of proportion to the
need for it. Granted that we live
in a world that is continually
having small eruptions that pre-
sage an all-shattering finale.
Granted, too, that to live in fear
of what may happen is not really
to live at all. Hoplessness and
loss of faith in the future can
become ingrained habit forms
of existence. 1t is due, as have
indicated elsewhere. to mans
forever being concerned about
his tomorrow and missing his
todays.
Perhaps go about it in grisly
manner, but I remind those in
dividuals who nurture worry as
if it has become an inseparable
appendage, that the worst that
can happen to any of us is that
we shall die. Come earthquake
or no earthquake, atom war or
no war, two billion of us living
today will make place for the
two billion or more of our de-
scendants hundred years from
noW
Is, that reason enough for
living through the present in
needless detection? Man latchesI
on to a reason; he likes to pin a.
label on the causes of his bad
habits. Unnecessary worries are
bad habits. Man says, How can
be otherwise in this kind of
world?" Having offered this
seemingly incontrovertible rea-
son and excuse. he lapses back
into the mold of spiritless defeat
and inner sadness. contend it is
all habit. The habit of taking the
easy way out. For the hard way
is to be cheerful when world
events give you a good excuse to
be otherwise. 1t takes less effort
to frown than to smile.
Perhaps gravity can be blamed
on the law of gravity. Look about
you on the street, on the buses.
in the subway-and make note
of the placid countenances and
the smiling faces you see. They
are in the minority; in fact, they
are raritieS.
Now I am not one for wishing
that all of us walk about with
a perpetual smile on our faces.
as if imprinted by a rubber
stamp. Although a smile is a
pretty thing to behold, it be-