The case of Corrine Baxter - I'm not happy!
Corrine stared out at the horizon. It was not beautiful. The sky looked too much like blood. She heard some people laughing and returned to the festivities. A smile on her face.
Does this make you happy?
"Of course it does," she replied.
Does this make you happy?
"Yes, I'm with family and friends."
Does this make you happy?
"We're celebrating my success. My happiness."
Does this make you happy?
"My happiness."
So, being with others in this situation makes you happy?
"Yes."
Are you happy?
"No, no I'm not happy! I'm not me!"
You ignore the truths?
"Yes. It makes it easier. If I can keep my family and my friends happy about me—of I can give them someone to depend on—someone who won't change at all—then their lives will be easier."
You sacrifice your happiness for theirs? And in doing so, you become the ultimate martyr? It gives you a reason to strike out. An excuse.
"That's not true!"
Isn't it?
Corrine moved around in bed, feeling the warmth from the man next to her. Twenty-seven years old and she was still doing this. She scoffed silently to herself and moved from his arms She didn't even like him. He was just a convenient way to comfort herself.
She moved away from him and got dressed.
"I guess when you've..." She sighed. "Lately, this is all we do. I don't even love him. Idiot, Stew."
Josie waited for her at work. "Finally. I've been waiting out here for half- an-hour. If you keep coming late, you'll lose your job."
"I know," she muttered shrugging slightly.
A pained look crossed Josie's face. "You didn't sleep with him again did you? You've got to stop doing this and settle down. You're just going to get hurt. No doubt by him."
"Being with him—being with anyone—makes me feel happy. I deserve just that," Corrine countered pointedly. "I can feel happy can't I?"
"But it's disgusting, you don't even love him," Josie replied. "You're just using him and you keep going back. It'll end badly."
"I thought you were better than that," Marshall said entering the conversation. He hadn't changed. He was still sixteen. "You use people to make yourself feel better. You're just a pathetic lonely woman comforting herself in anyway possible. With anyone possible."
You're not happy?
"That's not true, Marshall," she insisted.
"Going through men is just a cheap methodology," Vaughn muttered walking past them. "The only way to make you feel happy is to surround yourself with others."
If you're not happy, then do you abandon your current life?
"This isn't me!" Corrine shouted as the images of her life as an adult faded away. "This can't be me! I'd never..."
"Never what?" Lucas asked.
She looked around, but couldn't find him.
"Never try and make her feel happy," Marshall answered for her. "She won't allow herself."
Again, the voice was disembodied.
Is happiness wrong? To forsake your happiness for others, is that right?
How can you ever be alive without happiness?
Happiness.
Love.
Anger.
Pain.
Is it all the same to you?
"That's not true, I just wont abandon it! That's weak!" Corrine snapped.
"But mankind is weak. You don't want to be like us?" Lucas walked away from her; he turned to face her and disappeared as if a light switch was turned off.
That is how mankind survives. They abandon that which is of no use.
Isn't that right, Vaughn Pearson?
Corrine stared out at the horizon. It was not beautiful. The sky looked too much like blood. She heard some people laughing and returned to the festivities. A smile on her face.
Does this make you happy?
"Of course it does," she replied.
Does this make you happy?
"Yes, I'm with family and friends."
Does this make you happy?
"We're celebrating my success. My happiness."
Does this make you happy?
"My happiness."
So, being with others in this situation makes you happy?
"Yes."
Are you happy?
"No, no I'm not happy! I'm not me!"
You ignore the truths?
"Yes. It makes it easier. If I can keep my family and my friends happy about me—of I can give them someone to depend on—someone who won't change at all—then their lives will be easier."
You sacrifice your happiness for theirs? And in doing so, you become the ultimate martyr? It gives you a reason to strike out. An excuse.
"That's not true!"
Isn't it?
Corrine moved around in bed, feeling the warmth from the man next to her. Twenty-seven years old and she was still doing this. She scoffed silently to herself and moved from his arms She didn't even like him. He was just a convenient way to comfort herself.
She moved away from him and got dressed.
"I guess when you've..." She sighed. "Lately, this is all we do. I don't even love him. Idiot, Stew."
Josie waited for her at work. "Finally. I've been waiting out here for half- an-hour. If you keep coming late, you'll lose your job."
"I know," she muttered shrugging slightly.
A pained look crossed Josie's face. "You didn't sleep with him again did you? You've got to stop doing this and settle down. You're just going to get hurt. No doubt by him."
"Being with him—being with anyone—makes me feel happy. I deserve just that," Corrine countered pointedly. "I can feel happy can't I?"
"But it's disgusting, you don't even love him," Josie replied. "You're just using him and you keep going back. It'll end badly."
"I thought you were better than that," Marshall said entering the conversation. He hadn't changed. He was still sixteen. "You use people to make yourself feel better. You're just a pathetic lonely woman comforting herself in anyway possible. With anyone possible."
You're not happy?
"That's not true, Marshall," she insisted.
"Going through men is just a cheap methodology," Vaughn muttered walking past them. "The only way to make you feel happy is to surround yourself with others."
If you're not happy, then do you abandon your current life?
"This isn't me!" Corrine shouted as the images of her life as an adult faded away. "This can't be me! I'd never..."
"Never what?" Lucas asked.
She looked around, but couldn't find him.
"Never try and make her feel happy," Marshall answered for her. "She won't allow herself."
Again, the voice was disembodied.
Is happiness wrong? To forsake your happiness for others, is that right?
How can you ever be alive without happiness?
Happiness.
Love.
Anger.
Pain.
Is it all the same to you?
"That's not true, I just wont abandon it! That's weak!" Corrine snapped.
"But mankind is weak. You don't want to be like us?" Lucas walked away from her; he turned to face her and disappeared as if a light switch was turned off.
That is how mankind survives. They abandon that which is of no use.
Isn't that right, Vaughn Pearson?