piling up treasure

So I did it. I read those five library books within my three week time frame to show the bitchy librarian I could. Sure, I finished the last one in the parking lot next to the book drop today; I need a deadline so I can push right up against it. I think this is my first time to check out books and not renew them in three years. It took some sacrificing tv shows and even a workout, but I read those books.

In the J.D. Salinger book I read, Franny and Zooey, Franny says that everyone is “piling up treasure on earth. I mean treasure is treasure, for heaven’s sake. What’s the difference whether the treasure is money or property, or even culture or even just plain knowledge? It all seemed like exactly the same thing to me if you take off the wrapping.”

I love that. Often we measure success just by the amount of money someone has and the possessions they own. But treasure is treasure: to one man it is money, to the next it is knowledge, to the next it is happiness. Anyone can be successful, not just the rich. Anyone can be rich, not just the wealthy. The definition of the word lies in your definition.

Sometimes I think that anyone can be happy who will be content. But then I think can someone with goals outside of who they currently are be content? And then I think if someone is content, how can they be happy without dreams to motivate them? No one has the answers; if we did, we would not continually seek knowledge. Perhaps happiness does not lie in contentment but the constant pursuit of it. Perhaps happiness is constantly evolving into someone better than your current self, piling up treasure all along the way.