Pure Unadulterated Glee

No... I'm not referring to that evil thing on television that is slowly killing us all... wait, isn't that Oprah?      The other day I was dressed for an interview and I felt very mature. I had not changed too much just by switching outfits. Some would argue that I was still "me" under all the adultness (you can fill in the blanks what that means to you...). However, that got me thinking about maturity, which brings me to the subject of unhampered joy.
      Now, I'm not saying that we should all resort to bathroom humor for the sake of world peace. That would make life one big episode of Ren and Stimpy (which again, you can fill in the blanks about the good/bad of that). However, I think we miss the pure joy of enjoying life. I realize I don't have a huge amount of responsibilities in comparison to some. However, I think sometimes we miss the simplest pleasures because we are bogged down by the worries of life. We ignore the good because we are worried about what COULD happen. We have bills to pay, kids to raise, roofs to put over our heads, and lives that we are trying to self-actualize. There's so much to mistrust, and yet, there's so much to take joy in: people to love us, friends who are loyal, a body (which when functioning in a healthy way can be pretty funny all by itself), and (at the risk of sounding a bit dogmatic) a God who is with us, whether we feel Him or not. These gifts are what give life its beauty. If we refuse to acknowledge these treasures, we rob ourselves of an accurate viewpoint of life and thus, risk digging ourselves early graves.
      The title of this note is taken from a phrase said by Jim Wiggins, the oldest person ever on Last Comic Standing who had been doing saloon comedy for over forty years. He had been 11th in the top ten comedian choosing for the final cut and had therefore not been able to perform. However, as drama flaired on the show (as with most reality television), one of the finalists refused to perform at the last minute. Literally hours before he was supposed to get onstage, he received a phone call from Las Vegas to go perform. Upon seeing his journey there, his voiceover in the frame said, "I had nothing but pure unadulterated glee [upon receiving the news of wanting to hear his act again]." He then proceeded to do his act, which consisted of jokes about being old, poop, tequila, and a dialogue about being busted in a hotel swimming pool for wearing a thong bathing suit. While he did not make it to the top five, he received a standing ovation.