Joy n. ME [Middle English] 1. Vivid pleasure arising from a sense of well-being or satisfaction; exultation; gladness, delight 2. A pleasurable, happy, or felicitous state or condition; esp. the bliss or blessedness of heaven.

Shorter OED

About 17 years ago, not long after James was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and I still went to his neurology appointments with him as we were both learning how to navigate this new life, the nurse asked him if he was depressed. Depression is not an uncommon side effect of an MS diagnosis. James said he didn’t think so, and asked how he would know. The nurse said, “when you stop doing the things that bring you joy.” This has become his guide, our guide, to keep aware of how we are doing.

I’ve been thinking about joy a lot since December of last year (my winter holiday cards said simply “Joy” in red script on the front), and I have been thinking about it even more lately. And I’m not the only one. Laila at Big Reading Life is too.

 More and more horrible news comes in from around the world—wars, famine, floods, fires, and the report that the Amazon is perilously close to a tipping point that will mean its end–and it seems like no one with any kind of power gives a shit about anything other than holding onto their power and getting even more. It is cause for despair and I don’t blame anyone who finds themself sinking into it. The powerful want us to despair, because in despair we feel powerless, which allows the powerful to do whatever they want. The powerful want us to despair, because they know how precarious their power is. They know that if we joined together, it would be the end of their power.

Joy is not happiness. Happiness is fleeting; it is pleasure or contentment and never lasts long. I think the Founders of the United States enshrining “the pursuit of happiness” in the constitution, made a mistake that allows the few to create a society built just for them. The head of Exxon can be happy with his bonus and ill-gotten gains, but joy, true joy, can never be his because joy is life-affirming.

Joy does not rain upon you—it blossoms from within. Whatever the situation, if you are joyful, life is a celebration.

Sadhguru

Joy comes from a place of love. And that is why I think people who have suffered in the darkest places have still found joy. Etty Hillesum sang on the train taking her and her family to Auschwitz. She knew exactly where she was going and what was in store for her, but she sang anyway. The Dalai Lama has been in exile from his country for decades and joy comes streaming off of him. 

Neither love nor joy have to be huge world-encompassing monumental things. In fact, I’d say the best joys are the smallest. The smile of someone you love. The warm sun on your face after a long, cold winter. Watching chickens wallow in the dirt. The dawn chorus. The shade of a big, old tree on a hot day. The crash of ocean waves and the hiss of the water across the sand. The first bite of your favorite food. Sunrise, sunset, moonrise, twinkling stars, puffy white clouds in a brilliant blue sky, holding someone’s hand. The world is so very beautiful and full of joy and all we have to do is be present for it to find us. We don’t have to go looking for it anywhere.

When it comes to climate change, I think what is missing from the narrative is joy. We talk about all the terrible things that are happening and will happen if we don’t stop burning fossil fuels. We talk a lot about “giving up” things, and things we shouldn’t do, or won’t be able to do. It’s nothing but sacrifice and grimness. So if life is going to suck so bad in the climate change future, why not drive my car, use plastic, and shop til I drop and enjoy things while I can? Then there are many people in the environmental/climate movement who have given up things and take on a superior attitude of green virtue and a oneupmanship competition—You bike everywhere? Well I walk everywhere in shoes I made myself from twine and old car tires. It’s all austerity and minimalism and gritty endurance.

Instead of talking about what we need to stop doing in our fossil fueled world, what if we start talking about what we get to do instead? What if we shift the frame from grim sacrifice to one of abundance and generosity? What if, instead of should, and can’t, and don’t, and won’t, instead of giving things up, what if we talk about what we gain? What if we talk about trying new things, playing games, making adventures and new experiences? What if we talk about making new friends? What if we talk about joy?

There is an article at Atmos, Sparking Joy Through Climate Action, that wonders something similar:

She [Dr. Liz Dunn] told me that many approaches to climate change are largely framed in a negative light—that we need to curtail our consumption and sacrifice a bunch of things,” said Dr. Zhao. “A lot of the current initiatives are also inducing negative emotions like guilt and shame. And Liz said, Why can’t climate actions produce happiness? That’s what got me really interested in this idea.

Dr. Dunn and Dr. Zhao created a workshop you can do for free online at their website Happy Climate. It is intended for groups of 3 to 300 people and is no longer than an hour. Brilliant!

But it isn’t just joy in action we need to talk about. We also need to talk about the joy of not working a bullshit job, having cleaner air to breathe, less engine noise and more nature noise, good fresh food to eat, a real honest to goodness community where you know your neighbors and can count on someone being around to help you and you being around to help others.

Remember the early days of the COVID pandemic in 2020 when pretty much everything shut down? Suddenly kids were playing in the streets, people were out walking in the neighborhood, the air was cleaner, noise from cars and airplanes decreased so much we could hear the birds singing and the wind in the trees. Remember how you checked in with friends, family, and neighbors—Are you ok? Do you need anything? I am going to pick up groceries, can I get anything for you while I am there? You’re out of X? I can give you some of mine. 

They were anxious times because we didn’t know what the pandemic meant, but, if you were lucky like me (and I am aware there are plenty who were not), for just a little while, every day was incredibly joyful. I had time to enjoy spring as it unfolded, time to spend in the garden each day instead of rushing to get all the “chores” done on the weekend. There was nowhere I had to go, only essential errands to do. I got to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with James. Life felt expansive and luxurious.

What if, when we talk about global warming and all the things about the way we live that will need to change, what if we talk about how good the pandemic pause felt and how we can create a society that is like that all the time for everybody?

We have a freeway that runs between downtown Minneapolis and downtown St Paul. When it was built back in the 1950s, it went through and destroyed one of the most racially diverse and vibrant communities in the Twin Cities. The freeway is old now and will soon be in need of major repairs. Driving that stretch of freeway is horrible and even more so during rush hour. The lanes are narrow and there are too many cars. 

There is a comprehensive plan, completed design, and a movement afoot to tear down the freeway and instead create a boulevard. The boulevard would have green spaces, local businesses, restaurants, dedicated express bus lanes, protected bike lanes, lots of places for pedestrians, street vendors and cafes, oh and some space for cars. It would be transformative. Of course there are people talking about what will be lost if the freeway goes, but the plan supporters are wisely talking up all that will be gained. Theirs is a beautiful vision to create a place everyone can enjoy. 

Will Minneapolis and St Paul implement such a radical plan? I have no idea, the work to make it happen is just beginning. But it is joyful work for a more joyful and just future for the cities. We need more creative thinking like this, more daring imagination. More joy. Because survival is insufficient.

This is not to say that we stop talking about the bad stuff. Joy cannot be found by ignoring what is wrong in the world. It doesn’t mean not feeling sad or angry or any other emotion. It doesn’t mean being an optimist and believing everything is going to be just fine, because everything is not fine. It means that in spite of it all, there is joy and we have the power to create even more. There is much joy to be found in hard work, especially when we work together. 

So I am working on being more joyful. Actually, joy is not work at all. I should say I am remembering joy, being open to joy, being present for joy. The remembering, openness, and presence are what takes work. But it is joyful work.

What has brought you joy today?

Reading

• Garden Physic by Sylvia Legris. Poetry about plants. There is a section of poems between Vita Sackville West and Harold Nicholson about their garden. Joy!
• How I Became a Tree by Sumana Roy. A meditative nonfiction book about becoming a tree that is all kinds of wonderful. Joy!
• The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin. I read this over 20 years ago and had only a hazy recollection about the story and that I liked it. With this reread I love it so very much. I already have the next couple of Earthsea books on hand. Joy!

Listening

• Termination Shock (audiobook) by Neal Stephenson. We are something like 12 hours in and still have 10 more hours to go. No joy, but definitely interesting.
• Jane Goodall Hopecast (podcast) This is so great y’all! Goodall is amazing all on her own. I’ve only listened to the Robin Wall Kimmerer and Margaret Atwood interviews so far. Listening to such smart women makes my heart happy. Joy!
• Crazy Town (podcast). I’ve listened to this one since the beginning and it is now on season four. Smart people talking about climate change. It’s kind of like if the movie Don’t Look Up were a podcast. Sarcasm, absurdity, and lots of laughter. Like a spoonful of sugar.

Watching

• Spiderman No Way Home. It was pretty good. I enjoy the Marvel stories, but I am getting increasingly tired of all the destruction in them and any other movie for that matter. The spectacle of buildings exploding or bridges breaking or cars crashing is exhausting and uninteresting. What is interesting is the story, which was about making hard decisions and coming to terms with the consequences. But also about second chances and forgiveness.
• Only Murders in the Building. Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez have such great chemistry. Plus it’s good, silly fun.