Happier Than A Happy Meal

• Linh Nguyen, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2016

The bulky man at the entrance of club “Bliss” glared at me unyieldingly and I had no option but to find another place where I could find someone to share a cold one with or at least some delectable XY chromosome carriers to prey upon. I guess I could safely conclude that being in a place with cheap alcohol was a place not worth the effort of dressing skimpily or looking far too glammed up with fake eyelashes and store bought tanning lotion. Perhaps this was when I knew I wouldn’t have enjoyed my time at the clubs anyway.
Something I have found out about myself is that once plan A dissolves, there are endless possibilities for a sudden burst of excitement or a moment of happiness. After leaving “Bliss”, the next location was pretty obvious.
McDonald’s.
Mickey D’s.
Maccas.
Also known as the place to consume heaping amounts of greasy fries dipped in creamy soft serves and drowning yourself in frozen cokes. You would hope the sugary beverages would give you a temporary euphoric high of some sort and one would label Maccas as a place of solace where you can enter freely without needing to show any form of ID. Despite the endless amount of times I have looked at the Maccas' menu board, as I look at it today, I am always brought back to the moment where I stood there for what seemed like forever and a bit. As much as it pains me to say, I was standing there like an idiot as though I was making the most important decision of my life. I’m shocked to suggest that humans thrive on moments which don’t necessarily matter in the long run; and perhaps times where you’d cringe just from the mere thought of a particular situation you’ve singlehandedly put yourself into.
From this Maccas incident, I ponder upon whether or not most humans realise that they are living in discontent, dissatisfaction and are simply living unhappily. They are too consumed with the belief that  they are in need of someone else’s approval or they won’t be content until they possess the most extravagant high-rise penthouse in Melbourne’s CBD or until they “Share the Fantasy” with Chanel’s latest haute couture.
Let me give you a few words of wisdom, a late night Maccas run is the way to go; whether you want to go on a cheap date or eat away your sorrows away to experience that fleeting moment of joy. Logically, you would hope that chugging down a coke and welcoming the cool sensation would spike your sugar levels and perhaps regrettably, gradual teeth decay. Who wouldn’t fall for your not so pearly whites now? Alternatively, I view this as the more you indulge in the small pleasures of life, the greater the impact they will have on crippling those unwanted stresses and overwhelming situations you’ve fought against countless times.