With all the books and technology on mood-boosting that do everything for us but laugh, we would expect happiness to show up at our doorsteps like a pizza. But it doesn’t quite work that way. Maybe when we’re young, other people orchestrate our enjoyment of life. If we're lucky, our parents go out of their way to keep us entertained, and in college our friends make sure we’re OK. But after that, most of us are left to fend for ourselves. And obviously, we can use some more help because about half of us are depressed.

What this event will NOT be is a step-by-step happiness guide. How draining would that be? What we'll talk about is why we seem to have given up on happiness altogether. After over two years in a pandemic, the coronavirus is no longer “novel” but often feels ancient and eternal. All the talk about the virus has been replaced with talk about the war in Ukraine, as well as the numerous other problems and difficulties that gloom over our present and future.

Everyone seems confused and burned out. And yes, there are plenty of problems. However, the bigger problem is that there is no goal to strive for. Without goals, there are no aspirations, and without aspirations, there seemingly is nothing to live for. Maybe it's time to redefine what happiness is and how to reach it.

We'll talk about that on Thursday! Everyone is welcome. If nothing else, this is a chance to be happy for at least an hour.