Not long ago, as I was talking with one of my teenage sons, he recounted an experience he had on a commuter train outside of New York City. It seems he was surrounded by middle-aged, potbellied, balding men who were worn out. Their clothes were wrinkled, their shirts were heavy with perspiration as they hunched over in their seats and clutched their copies of The Wall Street Journal. My son said, "Dad, they all seemed depressed."

That image stayed in my mind, because I've noticed the same thing. Have you noticed how few people appear, from the looks of their faces and from their body language, to be really happy? As you observe people from your automobile or walking in the grocery store or the shopping malls, you see face after face looking tired, worn out, bored, or just drained of any emotion. You can go for hours in northern Virginia without encountering a single truly jolly person.