Love of Life is the Core of Mental Health (DE Coast Press)

A concert band, of which several of my friends are members, recently performed at the Rehoboth bandstand. Their performance, coupled with a warm breeze and the sound of the ocean, made for a delightful evening. As they played, I couldn’t help but indulge in my favorite pastime: People watching.

In order to best serve our clients, we psychotherapists often become skilled at seeing patterns and trends. That evening was no different. As the band started to play, I watched as the people around the pavilion slowly divided into four distinct groups. The first group sat up close, listening and watching with rapt attention. The second group stood behind the seats and to the sides, refusing to sit, but still watching and enjoying all the same. The third group did not stop as they passed by, but observed curiously and quietly. The fourth and smallest group (made up of young teenagers) continued to walk, but called attention to themselves by making loud, disruptive noises.

I couldn’t help but find a metaphor for real life in this fleeting moment. Many people approach life like those in group one; making the most of every moment. Whatever they do — sell real estate, run a restaurant, store or whatever — they are fully engaged. The love they have for their work parallels their love for life.

Group number two stood off to the sides but still enjoyed the show. I see so many people who are guarded about involving themselves too deeply in their relationships or their jobs. Though this is not a bad thing in itself, I usually discover that these people might, at some time in their lives, have been hurt or rejected. They approach commitment carefully and with a bit of apprehension. Though a measure of caution is never a bad thing, taking a seat up front is something they could never do.

Group number three? Well, maybe they were in a hurry to be somewhere. Maybe they just didn’t like the music. Either way, my take was that perhaps they were unconcerned with new experiences, or had no curiosity about unfamiliar things. Rather than “fear of the unknown,” maybe “lack of concern for the unknown” says it best. Or again, maybe they were just late for their dinner reservations.

I was most fascinated with group number four. Though their disruptive behavior was typical of kids their age, their need to diminish others’ pleasure was intriguing. When little children fight over toys, they often adopt the attitude: “If I can’t have it, nobody can!” We grown-ups see variations of this in the form of life-hating terrorists, vandals, and people whose fear or ignorance of something unfamiliar takes the form of bigotry and violence. Of course a few vacationing teenagers making benign razzberries on the boardwalk do not, by any means, terrorists make. But, on a much larger scale, it’s a reminder that we share this earth with a few who make it their business to destroy what others value, simply because they can’t (or choose not to) have it.

Love of life includes a tolerance for all things different. It is key to a happy existence. We spend too little time on this wonderful planet to waste it on fanaticism, bigotry and narrow-mindedness. All the worn-out object lessons and new-age platitudes aside, it’s just not healthy! It takes work to hate. Keeping track of everything you detest is stressful, and accomplishes nothing but the dubious satisfaction of a bad job well done.

Do you have to sit in the front row all the time? Not really. Should you stand a little to the side, in anticipation of a quick getaway? OK, if it feels right. But don’t surrender to a simple lack of understanding of the variety of things around you. Everything we encounter, whether we embrace it or not, becomes a part of our lives. If it gives you pleasure and hurts nobody, then savor it to the fullest.

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