Donte Washington

January 12 2016
Professor Jizi
UWRT 1102

The Source of My Happiness

Happiness is an interesting topic. It is a delight that everyone experiences often. My
definition of happiness is the moment where one is perfectly content with the idea or situation
presented to them. Given this, there are many moments throughout the day where I experience
joy and my most memorable memories are associated with happiness. My happiness comes from
my friends, family and my experiences. All of these things have caused me both happiness and
sadness but are still important to me.
One thing that I know can always make me happy is track. Whenever I was on the field I
was overcome with a new sense of belonging. I enjoyed every aspect of it! It helped me discover
my passion for jumping hurdles. All of the elements including the competition, the jumps, the
anticipation, the fails, the victories, the team bonding were important contributions to this
happiness. If a normal gym student were to simply walk onto a track their typical reaction would
most likely be sad due to the fact that they have to run. But for me it is completely opposite; I
cannot manage to hide a smile on my face to the fond memories I have of the environment. The
memories I have associated with the track are too pleasurable for me to walk onto a track and not

smile. The experience is so different that I call my friends from track "Track friends" and refer to
them as nothing else. To this day I could tag one of them in a meme on Instagram and we could
all relate to the experience that we've all shared.
My family is a touchy subject when talking about happiness. They have caused me a
good amount of grief but I could honestly say I could not have been where I am today without
them. It was thanks to my Dad that I found a fondness for videogames because we would bond
over them with my two brothers. My mom has always supported me in any and everything I did.
She was always there for moral support and I strived to make her proud of me. We also made
plenty of inside jokes that I could laugh about for hours. My brothers are what helped me carve
my social life. I spent more time than I should with them and that helped me develop my
personality now. I guess you can say we have a love-hate relationship... mainly hate but never the
less, they're my brothers.
Another happiness I cannot doubt is my love for music. I have been in band since the
sixth grade and have loved it ever since. It is a different and rather opposite type of happiness
that I experience for track but none the less equal. Whether Im playing, composing or listening
to music, ranging from classical to hip-hop, I always seem to feel more relaxed. It is hard not to
appreciate the different types of music and the fact that there is a wide variety of styles makes it
more enjoyable. I hold the title band geek with pride because there is a sound to music that I hear
that no one else can.
Happiness is an important factor in everyone's life and it must be enjoyed. We don't take
the time to appreciate the happy moments and reflect on the memories that make us smile.
Happiness is everywhere one must simply identify when it happens. It is so natural that people

tend to overlook it. This is why our natural god given rights are Life, Liberty, and THE
PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS!