Carolina Perez Sanz

Yesterday’s mini-essay contained an oversimplification: I wrote, “he’s invested so much in this future that he forces himself to taste sweetness.”

Stating that Chekhov’s character Nikolay “forces himself to taste sweetness” when in reality the gooseberries are “hard and sour” oversimplifies happiness – or overcomplicates it.

Happiness is a choice, and Nikolay made it. He’d dreamed with and worked for a gooseberry patch for years. Now that he had it, why would he allow such a material aspect like a tongue response to “disappoint” him? He didn’t: he chose happiness.

Can’t we all?

Love,

Carolina