So many of us are finding the world overwhelming these days. The constant hostility on social media, the lack of empathy and tolerance for other people’s’ views, not to mention the depressing news stories, climate change and soaring crime, it’s no wonder we are all so stressed out with it all. And, media is so pervasive these days it’s almost impossible to find pleasure in life. 

The other day I was watching my granddaughter playing, marvelling at how much fun she was having just splashing in the puddles. I thought how complicated we make life, how demanding we are, how much our expectations for life grow. We want better holidays, bigger houses, better cars, wider TV’s and more and more highs. Splashing in puddles isn’t enough anymore. 

This led me to think about an art movement I used to teach my school kids about – the Fluxus movement from the 1960s. Yoko Ono was an early pioneer. Essentially, it was a development of the DaDa movement from the 1920s. It was absurd, nonsensical, silly and fun. It tried to be an antithesis of the expensive, elitist abstract art that dominated the 1950s. I loved this quote by founder George Maciunas:

“They said, ‘Hey! -Coffee cups can be more beautiful than fancy sculptures. A kiss in the morning can be more dramatic than a drama by Mr. Fancypants. The sloshing of my foot in my wet boot sounds more beautiful than fancy organ music.’ And when they saw that, it turned their minds on. And they began to ask questions. One question was, ‘Why does everything I see that’s beautiful like cups and kisses and sloshing feet have to be made into just a part of something fancier and bigger? Why can’t I just use it for its own sake?’”

What he was saying was that joyful moments in our lives are simple pleasures. They are: your first taste of coffee in the morning, the feel of the shower on your skin when you’re tired, a hug from your granddaughter, stroking your beloved pet, the pitter patter of the rain on a roof, sunlight on your face on a warm summer’s day, the taste of a fresh cream cake, your partner rubbing your feet after a hard day. You get the picture. You have to find your own life moments, identify what the simple pleasure are that make your senses soar, find the joy in the little things. Because, if you can find happiness splashing in puddles, then there’s a much greater chance you’ll find happiness in life as a whole. So, do something silly. Bounce on a trampoline, go down a water slide, or splash in a puddle. It’s probably the best way to banish those 21st century blues.