What is happiness?

By Al S. Mendoza

HAPPINESS, if not love, is one of the most elusive commodities on planet Earth.

You just can’t have it at the flick of a finger. You can’t even buy it, if you know what I mean.

Many wealthy politicians in the recent national elections must have learned their lesson the hard way:  Money can’t always buy votes.

Recently, the Palace (who else?) tried to buy the principle of Gov. Ed Panlilio of Pampanga, a Roman Catholic priest; a big flop!

How can you buy a Man of God?

I remember one film depicting the clash of lust, love and happiness.

It starred Robert Redford. The film, “Indecent Proposal,” had an indecent plot: Redford wanted to sleep with a woman who was a total stranger to him.

To Redford, it didn’t matter that the woman (Demi Moore) was married. Redford wanted the woman just for one night.

Simply, lust was what mainly motivated Redford, who was instantly smitten at the first sight of the ravishingly beautiful   Moore during an evening party.

OK, include ego.

In the film, Redford was rich. He had all the money in the world that he could  practically buy anything he wanted, including the moon.

Moore had initially rejected Redford’s wooing ways.

His ego pricked, Redford used his most trusted bait: money.

He offered Moore one million dollars for a one-night fling.

Moore did not bite – but, of course. She was happily married.

But out of curiosity, Moore mentioned   the indecent   incident to her husband when they got home that night. To her surprise, the husband said they could give the matter some thought.

Reason: The hubby surmised they could use the money to buy their dream house.  They were then in the process of applying for a house loan.

In short, for the couple, the element of desperation had become a major factor.  At times, a desperate person becomes vulnerable.

“Anyway, it’s just for one night,” said the hubby.

To cut the long story short, Redford won.  He got Moore for one night for one million dollars.

Moore and his hubby got their dream house.

But not long after, Moore was hounded by guilt and, worst, her hubby would soon change attitude: He became suspicious of every move that his wife made.

One quarrel led to another and soon, their relationship, their love life, was melting in the dark.

They’d soon split up.

The happiness of making them own a house was short-lived.

Likewise, the happiness of a one-night stand for Redford hounded him afterward:  It was not happiness he got that evening from Moore. It was lust. Ego trip, too.

Redford didn’t buy happiness that night.  Conquest, he bought.

Moore and her   hubby didn’t also acquire happiness that night as a result of the one million dollars they got from Redford.  Skin-deep, short-lived satisfaction, they got.

In the end, therefore, happiness, if not love, can never be bought.

In the end, too, money was proven again as the root of all evil.  Moore and her hubby never reconciled.

Do you think the caregiver, or the nurse, loves you because he/she looks after your needs, your welfare, when you are sick?

Nah! You stop paying her/him and the caring, loving, also stops.

Money can’t buy everything. As one line goes, “The best things in life are free.”

Happiness, love, can only be real if it’s given with nothing in return.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/general-admission/ Readers may reach columnist at also147@yahoo.com . For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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