The Man Who Wanted Happiness

A middle-aged man walked into a department store. Salespersons were selling and customers were buying. As the man looked through the many items displayed for purchase, he was approached by a friendly salesman.

"May I help you, sir?" the salesman asked.

"Yes," the man replied. "Do you have any happiness?"

"I'll have to check the stockroom," the salesman said.

"Thank you," the man said. "I'll wait here."

The salesman went to check the stockroom. In every corner of the store, customers jostled one another and brandished credit cards. On the face of each customer was an empty smile. The man waited until the salesman returned.

"I'm sorry, sir, but there was no happiness in the stockroom," the salesman reported to the man. "We appear to be completely out of happiness at the moment."

"That is what I have been told in every store," the man said.

"Could I interest you in a worthless trinket?" the salesman asked, trying to be helpful.

"No, I don't think so," the man replied.

"How about a bit of mindless diversion?" The salesman asked.

"No," the man said.

"A parcel of flimsy illusions?" the salesman asked.

"No," the man said.

"Well, perhaps I could show you some useless rubbish," the salesman said, not wanting to lose a potential sale. "We have lots of useless rubbish."

"No, thank you," the man said. "I only want happiness."

"Happiness is getting harder and harder to find these days," the salesman said. "I would even go so far as to say that happiness has become difficult to find at any price."

"Yes, I suppose you're right," the man said.

The salesman excused himself and attended to another customer. The man, looking dejected, walked out of the store.