Hang your head and Weep

Someday, when I've mastered three foreign languages, traveled around the world, received honorary doctorates from multiple schools as a best-selling author, and completed all those other pipe-dream milestones we expect in our fantastic imaginary futures, I will write a book about Melancholy.

I think the title shall be "The Sanctity of Melancholy: Recapturing the blessings of darkness."

Our world views any and all depression, any frustration or sadness or bittersweet longing as a problem to be solved. That's why, as of February 2000 more than 115 million Zoloft perscriptions had been written in the United States.

Thats a perscription for every third citizen. For a single drug in the family of anti-depressants.

We have built a social stigma around sadness. Successful people aren't sad. Good people aren't sad. The "right kind of people" aren't sad. If you aren't happy something is wrong.

I disagree. I am going through a period of darkness in my life, but I am content in it, I am learning through it, and I must admit I am savouring the bittersweet nature of this period of my existence. I am taking time to dwell on my regrets and learn from them. I am allowing myself to be saddened by my memories. But that's ok.

There's nothing wrong with having the blues.

Or maybe there is just something wrong with me? Who knows.