I plan on voting in every election I’ll be alive for. When I’m older my friends and I will be sitting around drinking out of mugs with pictures of our grandchildren’s faces on them and I’ll say, “I remember my first time, it was in a small booth in New Brunswick, I distinctly remember the red curtains”. I’ll be one of those old women who get mentioned in the local newspaper for voting in every single election since I was nineteen years old. Solely because I believe in the pursuit of happiness.
The United States of America’s Declaration of Independence states that people have “certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. It’s not that you get to be happy but rather that you have the freedom to try to be. Pursuing happiness means dreams can become real, but you have to work hard at them. Whether your goal is to run your own business or run a marathon, the pursuit of happiness not only allows you, but also encourages you, to take that first step. It’s the idea of the American work ethic, and of not stopping until you got what you wanted. It’s everything big and beautiful that America’s ever created. The pursuit of happiness is sending astronauts to the moon because they wanted more than just planet earth.
It’s also taking your younger brother out to the park at night to look at the stars. Little things like helping your roommate dye her hair purple. Eating grilled cheese and milkshakes at two in the morning at that diner you always go to. Calling your mom on the phone. Hearing your favorite song. The mundane activities that you think about before you go to sleep. All those little everyday happenings that plaster a smile to your face that is too permanent to immediately wipe off. When you add all these small actions together they are what makes a person happy. The pursuit of happiness encompasses everything a person would want to do to make their lives a little better or their smiles a little more real. It’s the chase for something bigger and more meaningful.
The reason I voted today is simple: it’s because I want everyone I love to be able to pursue their own version of happiness. Knowing that this idea is a cornerstone of the country I live in allows me to work towards achieving my own dreams and to enjoy watching my friends and family achieve theirs. It helps me experience life instead of merely living.
So yea, I voted. But there’s still more to be done. Now, I will pursue happiness.
Sarah Beth Kaye is a contributor for the Rutgers Review.