As a child I was always scared to speak in front of others and dreaded the days I had to give a presentation in front of the class. Their eyes were like drills, boring into my soft malleable flesh. In high school I vowed to get over my fear and thus joined the drama club. On the night of my first play I cannot recall being as nervous as I was before or after that night, but I performed without a hitch and was never the same after that.

A few months ago I joined an improv group. I wanted an outlet, an activity which was purely entertainment and did not require an elaborate summation on my resume. Last night we had our second show of the year. It was the largest crowd the group had seen in all of its years, and it was magic. I don't quite know how to describe it; knowing all of those people were there watching our actions, hearing our words, laughing when we were funny, it was like this euphoric haze of energy and excitement. We were great, the crowd loved us, and I felt a sense of satisfaction I had not known in awhile. My life has been about turning myself into a marketable package which can be utilized by companies upon my graduation from college. Everything I've been doing has had an ulterior motive... I volunteered because it looks good, I got an internship because it looks good, I joined clubs because they looked good. But last night I was part of something not meant to flatter bosses and command the attention of business executives. We were all there because we wanted to be, not because we felt we had to. We were there to make people laugh, not impress employers. The stress of finals and Christmas were dissipated among the eager faces of our supporters.

When the show was over I was glowing. Have you ever felt so utterly completed by something, so happy? I was so happy, so purely happy, a form of elation I forgot I knew how to feel. I wasn't mad, I wasn't disappointed, I wasn't nervous nor jealous about anything. I was just so happy.

This morning, as I write this, I'm still so happy. This is the season for materialism, yet all the pricy gifts could make me feel the way I am feeling now. I've surprised myself. I guess you don't need money and nice things to be truly happy.