The Bright Side

“What time is it?” asked Isaac.

Anna checked her phone, “Almost six.”

“Would you mind opening the blinds?” Isaac shifted forward in bed, craning his head towards the single window in the room. “That’s better,” he said, feeling the sunlight as it streamed into the room. Anna grimaced and backed away from the window, shading her eyes

“It was so hot today,” said Anna, “I think this’ll give me sunburn, I was already stuck outside all day.”

“Not all of us are so lucky,” said Isaac. He smiled at his granddaughter to soften the remark.

“Right… So how are things?”

Isaac remained silent for some time, enjoying the sunbaked silence. “Everything is fine with me,” he said. “Tell me about you, I feel like I haven’t seen you in a thousand years. How’s school, the boyfriend, your step-dad?”

“Well,” started Anna. She bit her lip. “Grandpa, I actually left school. It wasn’t for me, I don’t need to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for a piece of paper that says I’m qualified to be an adult. I honestly don’t understand what it is about the college experience that people are obsessed with. It’s like being trapped in an aquarium while you watch the rest of the outside world go by.”

“Sounds like you have strong feelings about it,” said Isaac. “You’ll be fine, you have a great head on your shoulders.” He searched for Anna’s hand, and she helped him find it. “Do what it is that feels right.”

“Everyone keeps telling me that I should do what makes me happy,” said Anna, “but what does that even mean? How does anyone know what they want to do, or what makes them happy? Half of the adults I know are miserable.”

“It’s true, few people in this world are happy. Might I make a suggestion?”

“Sure.”

“Don’t be so occupied with being happy,” said Isaac. “I can’t tell you how many people I’ve met who devoured themselves in pursuit of what people told them happiness was. Happiness is a house, a car, a career, kids, grandkids, fame, sex.” Anna coughed. “I know, it’s uncomfortable, but it’s true. Happiness is nothing that you can imagine, because it is not constant.”

“Then how do you live? What if I’m happy today because I bought a nice new car, but tomorrow I wake up angry that I spent so much on something that I’ll have to replace in five years?”

“You will never be able to predict your life,” said Isaac.

“That’s depressing.”

“You will not always be happy, and I think you know that. It’s some of the most ancient common sense there is. For thousands of years people have been rationalizing, categorizing, and dissecting everything there is in pursuit of something that is fleeting?”

“Why would anyone ever want to be unhappy?”

“I’m not saying you should look for unhappiness, but look for the light. Let dissatisfaction drive you to better yourself, it’s the only thing that can keep you moving forward. Expect to be better.”

“Why are things so complicated? My step-dad won’t even talk to me anymore. Not since I dropped out.” Anna trailed off, then looked out the window.

“What color is the sky?” asked Isaac. “I can feel the sun setting.”

“Orange.”

“You can do better than that. Help out an old blind man and look on the bright side”