The Spirits of Transient Joy. There are few beings on earth as happy as a farmer with a new pick-up truck. The first few dozen trips to town are among the most enjoyable times he will ever have. He will often make up reasons to drive his new truck to town. He may even take the family to church. “Jes’ thought I’d bring the wife into town for dinner.” will be a line he’ll rehearse in the event he sees anyone he knows. And, he’ll be looking.
If someone should be so impolite to share the thought that Heaven is even better than a new pick-up truck, the farmer will look sideways at you, smile the smile reserved for dealing with sure and certain idiocy, and agree until you go away.
Then, he’ll drive somewhere else.
Two or three years later, when the truck is starting to show signs of wear and two or three years of payments remain, the trips aren’t quite as enjoyable. But, the farmer still thinks of the truck as “new”.
Dents, dings, wear, and tear make this illusion one that must pass. After a while, maybe an unexpectedly good price for grain, the farmer will get a new truck.
Again, he will know great joy.
Where does this joy come from? What makes this happiness so great that it overwhelms the knowledge that paying off the loan may double the price of a truck whose price has dozens of hours of TV advertisements built into it?
Catholic Fundamentalists have discovered a new kind of spiritual being. Spirits of Transient Joy jump into people as they get closer to buying something new. There are some kind of spiritual “apartment houses” at every retailer, where Spirits of Transient Joy live after they leave the purchaser when his purchase ages.
No one in any business ever talks about them, but the entire economy is based on convincing people that they need a “Spirit of Transient Joy” to move into their mind, and convince them the only way that can happen is by making this purchase, and , “right now”.
Whether buying a modest home, a mansion, a mink, a Timex, a Rolex, a rowboat, a yacht, or a palace, there’s an appropriate “Spirit of Transient Joy” that will move into one’s mind for awhile.
Spirits of Transient Joy can be very costly.
P.S. Salesmen are those in whom Spirits of Transient Joy may temporarily reside
