My friend Pedro María Zabilde, in his book ‘Happiness is not for fools’, tells us a delightful episode: he entered a large and neat village barber’s shop and found a well-educated barber, a cultured man, as talkative as a lawyer, because he considered good conversation to be as much a part of his trade as the razor or the paintbrush. As soon as he saw his client settled in his chair, he did not want to leave the cost of dialogue to others and asked him the ritual question:
– “Football, politics, religion?”
– “Gee,” said my friend to his bellhops, “what a varied menu!” and he opted for, “Religion.
– “Light religion or strong religion?”
– “Gee!” – he whispered again to himself – “What’s the difference?”
– “Well look: light religion is commenting, for example, that January 17th is St. Anthony of the Temptations, that Our Lady of Fatima appeared on the 13th or that the Pope is a bit crooked. And strong religion is… I don’t know if you understand me, deep”.
– “Well, strong religion”.
And the good man immediately pulled out of his pocket a ball of questions, more or less complicated, that he had been storing up from previous encounters.
– “What do you think of the existence of evil? Do you think it is proper for a Father to allow earthquakes and cyclones to occur in which thousands of people die, including innocent and defenceless children?”
– “Well…”
But the barber would only allow his interlocutor to say “Well, well”, because then he would fire off a new round of questions:
– “And what about the injustices that stain our society? Do you think it’s OK that there are countries sunk in misery and others that boast of wealth and abundance?
– Well…
– “What do you think of Project Man? Can’t even he sometimes revive young people who have been sapped by drugs to the point of drying up their will to live?”
– “Well, as a matter of fact…”
– “And don’t you think that we Christians should be more joyful? That we should bear witness to the resurrection of Jesus? Show that we have faith in a Living Person who saves us, and not give that image we sometimes give of poor creatures, bitter and sad as umbrellas without a stick?”
After this peroration he had to take a deep breath, which allowed his listener to state decisively:
“Well, well, I couldn’t agree more.”
The barber continued his work and his interlocutor was left pondering the last of his truths, big as the Vatican: Christians should feel bound by the commandment “Thou shalt be happy”, for they serve nothing less than God. If they are sad and sorrowful they disappoint God, for they give the impression that divine service is a heavy burden rather than a joyful privilege, a happy kingdom.
My friend Pedro Zabilde believes that, to be happy, a citizen needs three important things: to be good, to be intelligent and to have a driving licence.
To begin with, to be good. There are people who suffer from liver disease, who are very selfish, and who give the impression that they eat tiger for breakfast every day. Let those people say goodbye to happiness! To be happy, we have to be kind, cordial, loving, take pleasure in seeing others happy. The vinegar of the heart turns sour, and how sour! – the joy of living. It is necessary to say “hello”, “good morning”, “please”, “excuse me”, as if to make the pure lymph flow from within. A sincere compliment can be worth many indulgences, and smiling at someone can be as good as communion. The ecology of optimism and hope needs activists of all parties.
Secondly, to be happy you have to be intelligent, which does not mean intellectual. Smart enough not to get into trouble you don’t know how to get out of. Problems with the economy, gambling, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, bad habits. If you go down this road, you have mortgaged your happiness and that of your family, community, friends, neighbours. Why complicate your life? Without a few pounds of common sense no one can taste happiness.
And finally, you have to know how to drive the car of life on the right road, without going off the track. Many children of good mothers rush around aimlessly, without ever stopping for a few minutes of calm and deep reflection. Without having a fruitful relationship with the source of joy which consists in loving one’s neighbour, and with the Source of Meaning which, after all, is God.
Abílio Pina Ribeiro, cmf
(PHOTO: Caju Gomes)
