Being Bliss

All too often we get caught up in being human thinkings or human doings instead of being human beings. I didn't realize until recently that being is a unique state into itself. Being is being present in the moment. Being is enjoying the company your with instead of thinking about what you're going to do next week, what you're going wear to work tomorrow, where you're going to go on vacation, or even what you're going to write about in your blog.

Being seems to come upon us when we least expect it, when we're so solidly in the moment that our bodies seem at one with the world around us. Thought seems suspended as we are uniquely one with our bodies. Since I've been practicing bliss, those moments of being have come to me a lot more frequently or maybe it's just that I've been more aware of them.

John and I spent Friday night in a hotel and before he arrived, I drew him a bath and lit a beautifully scented candle so that he could wash away the cares of the work day and slip into weekend mode. The very act of lighting a candle and preparing for bliss, helped me slip into a state of being rather than doing and instead of going back to a mental tally of everything I had planned for the evening, I was able to go with the flow and just enjoy life as it unfolded.

We enjoyed a relaxing dinner at Carson's Ribs and then headed out to the Blue Frog, a funky little bar and grill in Chicago's River North neighborhood to sing Karoke and enjoy a few drinks. The Blue Frog is what could nicely be classed a dive bar, but the people were nice and not scary and the decor was interesting. I decided to take the plunge and actually sing Karaoke for the very first time. I picked Gretchen Wilson's Redneck Woman and I had hopes of belting it out famously and getting those wonderful "Hell Yea's" from all the redneck girls in the place, but sadly that was not to be as the Karoke machine messed up and I ended up off key and out of sync, but no one seemed to care and they cheered for me nonetheless.

After Karaoke, we headed back to our hotel to warm up and decide whether or not we wanted to head back out. We decided we did so we dumped the bags, I grabbed my jacket and we headed downstairs. John need a cigarette, so we chilled under the portico entrance to our hotel and danced the the jazz playing. As we talked, we realized that other people might be driving by and "looking at the crazy fools dancing under the portico." We decided we'd reached a point in our lives where we didn't care if people thought we were weird. Their opinions just didn't matter anymore and that in itself was a pretty blissful feeling.

Saturday morning, we spent a lazy morning in bed watching TV and cuddling before it was time to head off to meet the kids for a lunch at the Rosebud and a trip to the planetarium. I enjoyed the spaghetti and meatball (yes, it really is just one meatball) and then we grabbed a cab to the planetarium. It was a spectacular spring day in Chicago with just a touch of warmth in the air. We'd signed up for membership in the Adler so we got to enjoy all the shows and the exhibits. Sinking into the comfortable chairs in the auditorium, I felt all my bliss melt away as the room was the perfect temperature and their was soft music playing. Once the show started, I was nearly a goner as I felt my bones melt away as I slipped into a perfect state of being. I felt as if I was one with the universe.

The awesome state of being lasted all the way back home and one of my challenges will be to figure out how to maintain that state of being in the ordinary world.