World Class Joy

“Happiness is real only when shared.” Jon Krakauer

So, there’s been a whole lot of reflecting going on lately. And all the blue paint and green algae aside, I’ve been reflecting more than usual myself.

There’s something about seeing large groups of all kinds of people celebrating full-out, all at the same time, which moves me to tears. Tears of joy. Without exaggerating (that much), my reflective smile hits 90% Joker range of motion; my usually tense trapezii melt like butter, just like my heart. Question: Why do we need to wait 53 years at most, or four years at least to share mass unbridled happiness?

And I’m not a Knicks fan (Celtics please) and probably haven’t seen a total 90 minutes of World Cup action since FIFA’s conception, or even my own. And just so you know, up until now, for me, watching soccer alone on television would've been worse than solitary confinement, without TV.

And it’s not so much about what’s happening on the court or pitch as much as it is seeing the reaction of the fans, New Yorkers, and World Cup visitors to the U.S. If you’ve had a tough day at work…or dealing with the State of California licensing bureaucracy, or your plants seem bent on committing seppuku, there’s nothing like seeing visiting Scotland fans finish off all the beer in Fenway Park or Algerians being swept into the Lawrence, Kansas community and hearing the famous UK chant warmly adapted into, “Rock chalk Algeria!” or “One, Two, Three, Viva lAlgerie!”

My smile muscles reach an aerobic state of pleasure contested only by clips of German Shepherd airport reunions with returning soldiers/best friends. And then there’s the Japanese fans and players in Dallas enjoying a near religious experience with Austin BBQ and the bottomless bowls of chips and salsa served at Mexican restaurants…and a review ending with, “I have been defeated by courtesy.” I could hear my mom’s words, “Jack, a tough day around here is a dream for most of the rest of the world.” My counter thought: “Why can’t we share that?” But Taco Bell, the "Holy Land" for German fans?

In my reflective attempt to understand my emotions, aside from the contradictory high volume of simultaneous tears and smiles, it seems to come from what I’ve taken for granted and what I miss the most. Sharing the happiness with people I love.

When I saw Knicks fans crowded in the street watching Game Five projected onto the side of a building, I saw Jon Stewart and NYC diversity, equity, and inclusion…and joy, hope, and community. I saw family. I saw my team. I felt gratitude.

The Scot fan who shared a “sausage, peppers, and onions hot dog” review at Fenway took me back to the three or four I had on the Southside of Chicago at the MLB All-Star game back in 2003. I also sampled several cold frosty beverages before my interview on the field (for a professional organization of friends/colleagues, committed to doing good) just before the Home Run Derby (dang, 23 years can travel fast). Back in 2024, I shared the Austin BBQ experience with two former co-workers who remain special friends; it seemed like we’d cleaned the platter of about twelve pounds of protein. I smiled remembering a quote from an author we’d read and met, “You can’t be happy if you’re not grateful.” Jon Acuff. I’ve recited a gratitude anthem right out loud every morning for the last decade, and I suspect there’s some punch that has gone missing over time. But not this morning.

I never thought I’d ever share gratitude for the Knicks or the World Cup right out in public, but who wouldn’t want a piece of the joy that appears when dreams come true, even for an outside spectator of it all?

If only we could see a future, based on what joy looks like. People could be invested in a common humanity, enjoying and growing from the collaborative experience, and celebrating the reward for staying curious and learning together. Competition would not be the thief of joy, participation would be the stuff of unifying chants, common respect and courtesy, and Fenway Park hot dogs.

When I review my 46 years of private dental practice, it occurs to me that we were at our best when together, we reached out into the community to make a difference for a cause. Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. were more like core values, rather than threats to our purpose, “Making a world class difference for others and making dentistry fun.”