Is chile the key to happiness?

By S. Derrickson Moore dmoore@lcsun-news.com

 LAS CRUCES — The question: What makes people happy? And the answer is… Green chile! It was one of those “what I should’ve said” moments. I was visiting Mark Walker’s philosophy students’ class outreach quest for happiness information, outside New Mexico State University’s Corbett Center. In a creative “chocolate for wisdom” exchange, students dressed in togas offered little chocolate bars for thoughts on what makes people happy. I played it straight: after basic needs are met — shelter, clothing, food, water and affordable health care — I think to be truly happy, most people need someone/something to love, something to believe in and some kind of meaningful work or way to offer your own unique contributions to the world. I’ve lived in some of the richest and poorest societies on the planet, and my conclusion is that everybody needs everything in the preceding paragraph to have a decent shot at happiness, along with the freedom to pursue it. On the other hand, I’ve known people who have somehow retained a cheery sense of hope and faith in the face of devastating tragedy, disaster and deprivation. And I’ve spent long, less-than-blissful years (misery may not be relative, but it could be contagious) in the midst of incredibly wealthy people who could not seem to find solace, despite opulent material goodies, leisure and yachts and private jets to take them anywhere on Earth. Desperado souls who had come to the end of what money and power could buy, found themselves spiritually bankrupt. All week, I thought about my Socratic dialogues with Walker and his students. The fact that I had the opportunity for Socratic dialogues under a lapis blue sky in the middle of a beautiful April day made me pretty happy all by itself. My happiness continued as I visited the impressive annual student art show at the Williams Hall Art Gallery and checked out American Indian cradleboards and the New Mexico Placitas exhibits at the NMSU Museum. I was feeling happy about a job that encompasses covering everything from art, style, culture and cutting edge health issues to the Chile Pepper Institute, when the happiness answer hit me. Think about it. Chile brings joy to all the senses. The aroma of green chiles roasting. The sight of it in verdant green fields and fiery red ristras as it ripens, and on our plates in diverse and colorful dishes which delight our tastebuds and make us tingle. The sounds: its crisp crunch as we dice it for salads and enchiladas, the (usually joyous, if sometimes surprised) exclamations of those who savor its complex flavors and exciting SHUs (Scoville Heat Units). Chile has well-documented healing properties, including triggering release of endorphins which enhance our sense of well-being, maybe even blessing us with bits of joy and euphoria. Chiles, and indeed happiness itself, may not be the answer to the ultimate question: What is our purpose in life? But chiles can surely make our life’s quest a little happier. S. Derrickson Moore may be reached at 575-541-5450. Follow her on Twitter @DerricksonMoore