Mahiya Rade, Week 12: The Power a Happy Person Holds
But once I reached the shop, I realized, unfortunately, that I didn’t really care for chocolate after all—and after I went all that way. Feeling a little silly, I stood around pretending to inspect a bag of caramel clusters, eavesdropping on the people around me.
It’s funny watching how people act around chocolate. Some appraise a box of bon-bons as critically as if they are selecting a new car, holding it up to their ear and nodding along solemnly as they scan the nutritional label, while others, paralyzed by indecision, ask for samples of everything, a note of helplessness in their voice.
One voice rose above the rest, catching my attention. It came from the area of the chocolate counter. It was a man's voice, rather high, with a genial squeak that made little hops across his syllables. He sounded profoundly pleased—though not in anything so arrogant as himself. The world, perhaps.
When the girl behind the counter asked, “Would you like to sample a double caramel cluster, sir?” he replied, “Sure!”
“Do you want a mocha fudge with that?” she inquired.
“Sure!”
“What about a peppermint patty?” asked the girl, who at this point probably knew the answer.
“Sure! Why not?”
The way he replied! Who am I, he seemed to say, to refuse the bounty that the universe is clearly so intent on bestowing upon me?
His contentment was contagious. I bought a raspberry chocolate for my dad and ate a free sample. It was...ok. Really, this random guy cheered me up more than any chocolate could.
But I do recommend the chocolate shop.
Hi, Mahiya! This week, I really enjoyed reading your blog. When I saw the title, I was intrigued and immediately clicked on it; it seemed obvious that a happy person holds power, but your blog is so unique and mesmerizing in the way that it takes your readers through the journey of coming to this realization. As you describe how you went to the chocolate shop one Friday afternoon to add some light to your day, I was captivated by your storytelling style, which is especially complemented by the dialogue you’ve incorporated of the happy man you observed at the store.
ReplyDeleteReading this post on a Friday afternoon, which nearly mirrors the weather and mood that you’ve described, I found myself connecting with the blog even further. Beyond your storytelling, though, something that I really appreciated about your blog is how you’ve ended it; the last few sentences, describing your understanding that happy people like the man at the store are powerful because of the contagiousness of their happiness, are short and sweet, making that core idea really stick with me. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful blog this week, and I look forward to reading and enjoying more of your writing in the coming weeks as we transition to a new topic!
Hi Mahiya! I was captivated by the style of your blog and how your writing can make something as simple as buying chocolates seem so vivid and engaging. I agree with your statement that happy people hold power and although that may seem obvious, they can completely lift the mood of everyone around them. When I’m having a bad day, and I am determined to wallow in that negative mindset, I’ve noticed that being next to someone with a cheerful and positive attitude can break down my resistance and brighten my day. Their optimism and warmth makes it difficult to stay upset. This got me thinking-if happiness and positivity can have such a great impact on my mood, is the opposite true? Can someone else’s pessimism affect the moods of the people around them? I enjoyed reading your blog and look forward to reading more of your work in the future!
ReplyDeleteHey Mahiya! I love how the writing style you employ is reflective of who I have seen in person; that is not an insult I promise, I just mean that you have a certain "contentment" even when you speak that you sound almost philosophical? And I see that little delight play out so well in your pieces as well. The theory that there is no reason to "refuse the bounty" the "universe" has bestowed upon you is a, so nicely written, and b, such a interesting thing to reflect on. I often find myself chasing after things, and when I for some reason don't reach the finish line, I use it as a reason that I am not "worthy" of any reward. But I think to some extent, the world truly is our oyster. The million things that way us down are not truly worth crying and regretting as much as we tend to. I digress, but I loved that line. I look forward to reading more and more of these delightful anecdotes this semester!
ReplyDeleteHey Mahiya, I know exactly what you mean when you talk about those “not-very-good” days, and I often spend a lot of time on those days being very gloomy. I typically have a lot of work to do, but even doing that doesn’t put my mind at ease. However, I have seen that if I get a call or even a text from a friend who is just genuinely happy, my day instantly gets better. That joy that comes from seeing others be fully and wholly happy is just beyond my understanding. I loved your blog’s look into this experience, and I enjoyed reading about something very similar to my own experiences with happy people when I’m not feeling too happy. I loved your personal tone and the way you just let the story play out, and I would suggest only to go into the emotional situation around you a little more for the moments before you heard that man.
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