CHASING AFTER HAPPINESS

In New York City, there are eight million cats and eleven million
dogs. New York City is basically just concrete and steel, so when
you have a pet in New York City and it dies, you can't just go
out in the back yard and bury it. The city authorities decided
that for $50 they would dispose of your deceased pet for you.

One lady was enterprising. She thought, I can render a service to
people in the city and save them money. She placed an ad in the
newspaper that said, "When your pet dies, I will come and take
care of the carcass for you for $25." This lady would go to the
local Salvation Army and buy an old suitcase for two dollars.
Then when someone would call about his or her pet, she would go
to the home and put the deceased pet in the suitcase.

She would then take a ride on the subway, where there are
thieves. She would set the suitcase down, and she would act like
she wasn't watching. A thief would come by and steal her
suitcase. She'd look up and say, "Wait. Stop. Thief." My guess is
the people who stole those suitcases got a real surprise when
they got home.

A lot of us are like those New York thieves. We're chasing after
happiness, and we grab what we think will give us happiness;
however, when we get it, it doesn't quite deliver.