Return to Melancholy

Welcome back. Where have we been? What have we missed? Why does it matter? There is a time in history that is generally known as The Era Of Good Feeling. I don't recall the nature of the Era and specifically why it was tagged as such, but the moniker always stuck with me. I would often wonder what it would be like to experience an Era of Good Feeling. Given humanity's basic instinct to perpetually self destruct, I find it interesting that there would actually be a time and or place that could hold back the perpetual negativity of human advancement. I woke up this morning feeling very low, yet (as always) very aware of perspective. I don't see myself as one to wallow in misery. It does not compute, and I would prefer to do anything to snap out of it quickly, as depression seems to be a waste of energy. And yet here I was, facing the reality of another day, another challenge of meeting expectations. Is that what life is really all about? A daily affirmation of the challenge to meet expectations, for you, for your immediate family, for those who want or have to depend on you? I often wonder how others in human history have come face to face with this mental anquish, and wonder how they handled it. I am certain this dark mental cloud has overwhelmed many, from ancient greek philosophers, to roman soldiers, to egyptian servants, to feudal serfs, to asian merchants, to african elders, to colonists, to ship mates circumnavigating the world, to mid level industrialists, to spouses of power hungry men...the list is not unique, there have been millions just like me, who reach a certain plain of mental awareness because they seek it, only to be disappointed when they get there because they realize it's not the right place to be and we need to climb higher.