ne highway” (she had seen the sticker on my broke-down car and the book-bag on my back). She even offered me a ride home; it would have been an hour ride for her round trip. Not that I am saying you should always pick up strangers, but this women picked me up not only because she would have felt bad, but because she thought it was the morally right thing to do. Nothing curbs depression or the feeling of having a bad day like righteousness.The second major change would be in how you spend your time. Just because the pursuit of happiness is guaranteed in the U. S. Constitution does not mean that you should spend all your time on it. Doing nothing besides amusing yourself leaves you with a feeling of wasted time--which it is. Ilyich liked to play cards and pay official visits to the country districts(1172). Combine that with his work ethics and Ilyich was constantly in a state of recreational and occupational bliss. My vices were quite different, mainly because of the difference between nineteenth century Russia and twenty-first century America. Not being born into the social elite, I was not guaranteed a high position in government work. Also, video games replaced cards as the modern distraction. By following these two separate rules, I began to gain back my sense of self. As I gradually felt better about myself, my depression evaporated like a pool of water in the sun. I still spend time amusing myself with the occasional Stephen King novel or the latest video game, but I spend more time thinking about the world around me, my place in it and what I can do to make it a better place. And the best part about it is I, like Ilyich, did not need a psychologist or Prozac to feel better about myself and the world around me. ...
