Happiness is an elusive and universally misunderstood concept
I’ve known

Elation
Contentment
Patience
Sorrow
Anger
Pain
First marriage
First child
First job
First win racing
First joint
First car
First cigarette
First piece of ass
First beer
First $10,000 pay check
BUT
Between the ending of my third marriage and meeting my current wife
I quite by accident took time out to
shed my parents,
shed my upbringing,
shed all worthless knowledge,
shed the “have to” concept,
shed preconceived notions of life.
I shed a lot!
For better or worse I became me