Bliss, un goig profund

Radiolab has a new show up about bliss.  It opens with a conversation with a guy who walked to the South Pole and back again, solo.  It took him about three months, and he stashed food for himself as he went out for pick up on the way back.  In the video, he has come upon the second last of these caches, and he is hungry, he has been hungry for months.  Here's the link.

That is one seriously happy Norweigian.  It also got me thinking though, about other times when I have been deeply and profoundly happy, blissful.

From watching babies, there have certainly been many moments of replete bliss when I was small, and from spending time with small children, raw joy is most definitely a part of their lives and I remember it being a part of mine, that uncontainable happiness that leaves you drawing breath deep enough to try to contain it, jumping, yelling, skipping....bliss.

I think that this is part of why people enjoy dogs so much, at least for me this is true.  They demonstrate this level of pure happiness on a pretty regular basis, and it is infectious.

I remember feeling that way walking home from the last day of high school. Goodness that was a wonderful feeling.

Many many times with my children.

I remember one day when I was sailing alone in a dingy, nothing special about it, but pure happiness.

Times without number when we were living on the boat.

Flashes in the mountains, though I find I feel that euphoric happiness more often when there aren't so many people around, if not to say when I am alone.

Running upon occasion.

I remember a giant rainstorm and a friend and I jumped and splashed and kicked in the e n o r m o u s puddles on the side of the roads.

I have been lucky to be able to feel so deeply and fundamentally happy so often....

To be able to look up, look around and be delighted in the world.