Maybe we should enjoy the ride

I was standing in a crowded train going home.

It was rush hour, and people bumped into one another, pressed in from all sides, leaving almost no room for personal space.

There was an elderly lady, maybe in her 60s, standing next to me — I didn’t mean to look, but because we were so close, I could see what she was doing on her phone. She also used a large font size, which made it even easier for my eyes to accidentally land on her screen.

After scrolling here and there for a few seconds, she opened ChatGPT and typed a question:

“What does happiness mean?”

On a random weekday, in a moving train, surrounded by strangers with tired faces, that question took me away for a moment.

I watched her read the answers and caught myself thinking:

“I thought by the time people reach that age, we’d have it all figured out.”

But there she was, thinking about the meaning of happiness, still wondering, still asking, still curious.

Maybe that’s the point.

Happiness is not something we unlock the moment we turn a certain age.

Heck, I thought by the time I turned 30, I’d have everything figured out, but I still feel like a kid inside, even now.

Maybe we need a different way to look at happiness.

Maybe it’s not a destination waiting for us at the end of some perfectly planned life.

Maybe happiness is not about finally arriving.

Maybe it’s the process, the small shifts, the person we were, the person we are, and the person we’re slowly becoming.

Maybe we should enjoy the ride.

As the train kept moving, the announcement for the next station played. The train slowed down, and I realised my stop was coming.

The moment dissolved back into the usual routine: doors opening, people getting off, some half-running to catch their trains. I stepped out, changed trains, and headed home.

It was just another weekday.
But I found a little comfort in today’s encounter.

For one ordinary ride home, I noticed my life, noticed myself, and noticed a stranger asking a question I’ve been carrying too.

And on that day, I could say,
I enjoyed the ride.

---

I hope you find this insightful. Remember:

It’s not going to be easy,
But it’s not impossible.

Your friend,
Brian.