"I realized that time and circumstances have favored me. I have been cosseted in the world’s affection, loved and hated. Yes, the world has given me its best and little of its worst. Whatever were my ill vicissitudes, I believe that fortune and ill – fortune drift upon one haphazardly as clouds. Knowing this I am never too shocked at the bad things that happen and am agreeably surprised at that good. I have no design for living, no philosophy – whether sage or fool, we must all struggle with life. I vacillate with inconsistencies; at times small things will annoy me and catastrophes will leave me in – different.
Schopenhauer said happiness is a negative state – but I disagree. For last twenty years I have known what happiness means. I have the good fortune to be married to a wonderful wife. I wish I could write more about this, but it involves love and perfect love is most beautiful of all frustrations because it is more than one can express. As I live with Oona, the depth and beauty of her character are a continual revelation to me. Even as she walks ahead of me along the narrow sidewalks of Vevey with simple dignity, her neat little figure straight, her dark hair smoothed back showing a few silver threads, a sudden wave of love and admiration comes over me for all that she is – and a lump comes into my throat. "
My Autobiography, Charles Chaplin
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