M:

There are, I’ve been informed, six basic emotions. Of these, one of the most commonly felt, even more than happiness is that of it's very opposite: sadness. If not most common, it definitely is one of the most easily expressed emotion. Of course, sorrow is not what we ideally desire. What person would want to live a life filled with unhappy moments, of feeling morbidly glum?

But so many of us, in fact I imagine a majority of the world's population, has at some point in life, experienced this in some form or other. I have tried to explain the feeling to myself several times in vain. Perhaps it emerges from an unfulfilled desire, or un-achieved dream. For several, I would venture to say that it is born from a basic necessity of life being unachieved. But for each person who sleeps hungry in the world, there are several who lie in morose pessimism, pondering their lot in life.

Why don’t I have a job as good as my boss does?

Why don’t I have a satisfied life as my employee does?

Why don’t I have more money?

Where should I stash all the money?

Why me?

But whatever the reason, mine not to judge. For the person experiencing it, the feeling is as real as a bleeding gash in the torso.

Blues. They appear like mushrooms and stay on like mold. They burgeon and fester. A balloon that takes up all the space it can.

So for a feeling that is all pervasive; for an emotion that makes no discrimination of sex, class, religion and such; for an omnipotent sense that can debilitate more than most other feelings, an emotion that is as familiar as an old friend, here is the dedication.

M is for Melancholy.