Happily Sometimes After

I have to admit it. (Although I'm sure many of you have already guessed it.) I like happy endings.

I like it when the people I "know" in TV shows, movies, books, and - yes, even real life - are happy. I get frustrated and bothered and stressed when they're not.

At work, I find myself surrounded by all sorts of strange junior-high-ish drama on a fairly regular basis. This week - and, remember, we're only to Wednesday - my workplace is in a high anxiety mode. There's all sorts of stuff kind of going on. "Kind of" because so much of office life is conducted through innuendo and rumor. What I'd really prefer would be if everyone who works there would simply do their jobs and go about their lives. We'd all be happier.

When I'm home and watching TV - or at movies, or reading books, or at a play, or any of those other places people try to say aren't "real" - I get frustrated when the people I like aren't happy. When I'm expecting comedy, but am offered tense situations or embarrassing situations or downright sad situations, it kind of throws me off. This is part of why Christopher hates to watch "The Amazing Race" (which premieres this Sunday) with me - because when people I like have problems it bugs me.

It makes me wish that more of life came with a musical theater soundtrack. Then, even when things were bad, we'd all know that the next song would probably turn it around. We'd know that a tap number would be coming. Or the glittering set would be flown in in the next break. Or the hero would get his man in the end (innuendo that all you want). And they'd all go, arm-in-arm skipping off the stage after the bows to live happily ever after.

Or at least happily sometimes after. Because being around people who are overly happy all the time - even considering all I was just talking about - would be incredibly annoying.