Rev Ian Miller

Victor Borge, the Danish comedian, said that the composer Bizet was the original hard-luck fellow. He stayed up at night to finish an opera on time, only to find out that it had been postponed for a year.

He wrote a symphony and lost the manuscript. Once, he went to visit his girlfriend and tapped on her window at the exact moment her mother was emptying a chamberpot from the room right above his head.

Have you ever noticed that some people always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Many people think that they would be better off with a new wife or husband. John was confident his life would be improved once he got rid of his wife. His dream came true on January 20, 1993, his divorce from Maryann was finalised. On January 21st, she claimed the $10 million jackpot in the New Jersey Lottery.

When the papers asked about how he was feeling, his lawyer said, “He is very upset, I think that’s the word I would use.”

Sometimes life is not fair. When we watch a film, we want to see wrong righted. We want to see the good guy win. And we feel cheated if that doesn’t happen. We do want it all to end happily.

One night I caught one of these TV interview shows. The guest was a 94-year-old man. He spoke of all the changes that had taken place during his life. He spoke of his love of the garden, and he introduced us to his 75-year-old girlfriend.

It was obvious that the audience loved the old fellow. Eventually, the interviewer said something like: “You must have the secret of happiness to be so happy and full of life even at 94. Can you tell us what makes you so happy?”

“No,” said the old fellow, “I haven’t any secret. It’s just when I get up in the morning, I have two choices. I can choose to be happy or I can choose to be unhappy. What do you think I do? That’s all there is to it.”

I have heard people say if only I could move to a new place and make a new start, then I would be happy.

If only I could change jobs, buy a new home, find the right man, have enough to retire, then I would be happy. If only I had this...if only I could find that.

Happiness rarely comes from a change of locations, or a change of mates, or a change of situations.

I suppose we all look for happiness. We all want to be happy. At my stage in life, I just get surprised how so many seem to be looking for it in the wrong places.