Defining Existence

  Today, I was working in a supermarket doing some CCTV (closed-circuit TV) work.  An additional duty that I occasionally do besides cash registers.  Anyway, I couldn't help but overhear a couple of the cashiers talking negatively about their husbands and how they want to divorce them.  Primarily because they were lazy.  One woman was in her twenties while the other was in her fifties.  I was more curious why the older woman had given up on her husband and asked her so by saying, by way of a bit of humour, that he must be useful, occasionally, by mending a leaky faucet or something.  At that point she went into a little soliloquy which included the fact that he isn't able to fix anything.  All he does is come home, watch television and drink beer.  I said that he must have some kind of hobby or goes hunting or something.  She said, "nope, just sits and drinks beer and watches TV".
  I decided, at that point, to let the conversation drop and resumed my work.  However, I continued to think about the man that just sits, drinks beer, and watches television.  What caused him to go into such a repetitive and vegetative existence?  Since Humans can be very complicated by nature, there are probably a myriad of reasons for one to become that way.
  Of course, I am not a professional at understanding such problems.  However, as one gets older, one can develop an insight and understanding about some basic human fundamentals.  I like to think of it as one of the potentials of growing old.
  In my opinion, when someone gets frustrated or disappointed in one endeavor, he or she may focus on another activity that is more fulfilling.  For example, let's use the husband mentioned above and call him 'Joe'.
If Joe is finding his marriage uninteresting, he may focus more on his job by spending more time there, or bringing it home.  Especially if it is work he likes to do.  Or perhaps Joe might find enjoyment hanging out with his buddies and go hunting or go to a football game.
  Naturally, these aren't the only scenarios.  In fact, it could be the opposite situation.  Maybe Joe loves his wife and home, but his job is pushing him to the edge, or, worse still, he is unemployed.  As I said, there are many reasons why people's personalities can degenerate in certain surroundings.  My concern is for the individual who appears to be in despair in ANY surrounding, home, work, leisure, or anywhere.  The correct label could probably be Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) commonly known as clinical depression.
  At that point, we are no longer talking about someone merely existing, but someone who needs professional help.  This complicated world can cause complicated problems for people and my amateur insights end here!