I don’t know if you agree with this reflection of mine today? tell me what you think…. The Sad Reality of Being Happy Today by MasTorrencito News
Today I’m not here to tell you cute anecdotes or talk about playful puppies. Today it’s time to talk about something deeper, something that hurts me to admit but is hard to ignore: the sadness that hides behind those selfie smiles and Instagram filters. That ephemeral happiness that lasts as long as a flash and leaves us emptier than before.
The other day, having lunch with my friend Andrés, we sat in an elegant restaurant, one of those where the menu of the day costs what used to be a family meal. The place had a view of a lake, delicately decorated dishes and an atmosphere that invited the perfect photo. And, indeed, the photos did not take long to arrive. Selfies, poses, “boomerangs”. But when I looked down from other people’s screens, I saw something that chilled my soul: tables where people were eating alone or, even worse, in company but in absolute silence. Not a word, not a real smile. Everything was on the networks, but nothing was in their hearts. The “special” moment was trapped in a digital square, while the emptiness grew in the real world.
Talking with Andrés, we came to a bitter conclusion. Since the pandemic, something inside us has changed. We are more introverted, less communicative, less human. Wasn’t a global tragedy supposed to unite us, make us value company and little things more? It seems the opposite happened. We retreated into screens, we became spectators of our own lives.
And then, as I was pondering, I saw something that shook me. A table of grandparents, those who are almost 80 years old but have a young soul. They were laughing out loud, telling stories, interrupting each other to share anecdotes and looking each other in the eye. Not a single cell phone on the table. No “check-ins” or “likes”. Just laughter, complicity, humanity. I felt envious, but not the good kind. A bitter envy, because I realized that I didn’t see that in my generation, much less in the younger ones. Authenticity was dying, and we were burying it.
On the way home, Andres and I continued talking. It was already dark, and the cold was biting into my bones. He said something that stuck with me:
-What now, is the day over? I light the fireplace, read something or turn on the TV until tomorrow.
-Yes,” I answered, almost reluctantly.
And I remembered how, not so long ago, at that time there was still a whole night ahead. Bars full of friends playing mus, chatting or just laughing with a few beers. But now, the bars are empty or closed, and the few that are still open have owners who watch old videos with nostalgia, trying to fill the dead hours.
The contrast was brutal. I remembered the years in Madrid or Salamanca, where the nightlife was vibrant, and it seemed almost like a dream, something unreal. Today, that energy seems unattainable.
The only thing that consoles me are the little things: my dog, who always brings a smile to my face with his antics, or those afternoons with Mire, where between laughter and games the time passes a little less sadly. But even that makes me think: are we settling for so little because there is no other option?
Final Reflection
We are trapped in a paradox: we have never had so many tools to connect, yet we are more disconnected than ever. We have become actors in a play that we don’t feel is our own, always pending digital applause but unable to enjoy the present moment. The happiness we show is a mirage, a desperate attempt to convince the world -and ourselves- that we are fine.
Perhaps the answer lies in something as simple and as forgotten as looking into each other’s eyes, laughing out loud and turning off the cell phone. Maybe it’s time to recover what we have lost, before it’s too late. Because, if we continue like this, we risk living in a world where everything seems happy but nothing really is. And that, my friends, is the real tragedy of our times.
From MasTorrencito we wish you a good day and that your dogs accompany you !!!!
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