There are thou happy

“What, rouse thee, man! thy Juliet is alive,
For whose dear sake thou wast but lately dead;
There art thou happy: Tybalt would kill thee,
But thou slew'st Tybalt; there are thou happy too:
The law that threaten'd death becomes thy friend
And turns it to exile; there art thou happy:
A pack of blessings lights up upon thy back;
Happiness courts thee in her best array;
But, like a misbehaved and sullen wench,
Thou pout'st upon thy fortune and thy love:
Take heed, take heed, for such die miserable.”

Romeo and Juliet, Act III, scene iii, Friar Laurence

This quote is the inspiration for a game I play with myself in site. Sometimes life in Musho is not to my liking. Sometimes events, set-backs, even people frustrate me to the extent of throwing myself on my bed, looking longingly at pictures of what I call my former life (college, home, nice looking clothing and clean people). This is ridiculous and no way to behave. This quote, therefore, delights me, and inspires me to my game.

An Example:

Say, I´ve been invited to a lunch, potatoes, with potato soup, and flour gruel for dessert. I stumble out of the house, muttering some excuse for not having seconds, and clutching my overfull stomach. Obviously I am ready for self-pity. So I play the game:

“Look, there is Huascaran, there are thou happy.”

“You finished 2 plates of potatoes and delighted that mom, there are thou happy.”

“You can walk through the fields and woods until your belly is no longer distended, there are thou happy.”

“You have people here who care about you (even if the only way they show it is in quantity of potatoes served), there are thou happy.”

The game works for everything. It helps if you imagine the “there are thou happy” coming from a sort of monkish figure. I find it indispensable for life here in Musho. I am happy—very happy with my pack of blessings light upon my back—yet sometimes need to remind myself. Thank you, fate, for bringing me here. Here am I happy.