Friday, December 21, 2012

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.


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sometimes, people should look back and think about their happy moments... Happy Mayan Apocalypse ;)

thecatalanway said...

What a lovely post! Yes - some special tango dances have taken me higher than the stars, friends, swimming especially in the Mediterranean, sailing, watching whales in Scotland, Dolphins, dog and cat moments - lots of bliss. What a wonderful feeling and I hope we all have much more of it in 2013. Happy Christmas with lots of love Kx

oreneta said...

Happy Mayan Apocalypse to you too, though my understanding was that it is really just the re-rolling of the big circle calendar, no? sort of like when a cop chalks your wheel and you can see it going round and round...

Kate....may you have moments of bliss this Xmas season!

thecatalanway said...

Hi again - I did have some bliss already - the starlings roosting at Port de La Selva gave us an incredible surprise show last night and it lifted my heart up to the skies. Kx

oreneta said...

KATE! That is so wonderful, here's hoping for a blissful 2013!

carteraroundtheworld said...

you gave me and the kids a moment of bliss with the link to the Norwegian explorer! Thank you.

oreneta said...

So glad that you enjoyed it...her is so seriously H.A.P.P.Y!!!