We went hiking today to enjoy yet another unseasonably warm day. I have been reading an interesting book, so I decided the hike would be a good time to ensnare the unsuspecting boys in a book discussion (unbeknownst to them!) So I asked them what the happiest moments of their lives were. After we all talked about the happiest moments, I told them they were then supposed to look at the commonalities in those moments and try to think of what the themes of their happiness are. Wm's was easy. Getting stuff makes Wm happy. I told him he is a "tiny consumer" and he goes, "what's that?" And I said, "A consumer is someone who just wants to get more and more and more and more stuff they think they need...but that they really don't NEED." His response: "But I need it." I rest my case.
Another problem arose when Steve and I discovered our themes are, somewhat, in conflict. We each identified 2 themes - and, luckily, "family" was a common theme! But, Steve's other happiness theme was "travel," while mine was "home." BUM BUM BUUUUUM.
The idea is to decrease the time and energy you spend working towards things that aren't part of your happiness themes and to use the extra time you then have to spend more time concentrating on what make you truly happy. When I told them that, Wm was like, "I will have to concentrate on making a lot of money." I was like, "THAT IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT THE POINT OF THIS WAS."
In other news, Wm was mad at me yesterday because we finished Where the Red Fern Grows. SPOILER ALERT: the dogs both die incredibly sad deaths at the end saving the boy from a mountain lion. Wm was like, "Uhhhhh...can you stop picking books that have terrible endings?!?" He still hasn't forgiven me for Charlotte's Web. We started The Call of the Wild - and, so far, it's pretty gruesome. I don't remember what happens at the end...but I am REALLY hoping things turn out well!! Otherwise, Wm may mutiny.
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