2.15.07

Because of the sunny nature of yesterday’s entry, one reader asked me if I was always so “blissful.” I guess it’s time to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Pretty much, yes.

That is, I have my eye on joy, and try to stay on it whenever possible. It’s a little embarrassing to admit; it sounds so pollyanna-ish.

But that doesn’t always appear to be the case, I’m sure. There may be a very fine (almost invisible) line above my nose that could indicate something other than a smile has been on my face. I have a voice that can carry across fields, given the opportunity, and I’m not positive that my kids would say they’ve only heard laughing at that volume. Joy can certainly seem elusive while wrestling with the hard things of the world and the spirit.

Like Sisyphus, some days it’s just doing what I’m supposed to do that brings me an element of contentment. The boulder up the hill thing. And that’s OK.

But for the most part, finding the joy in my world is a simple matter of stopping to listen to, and look at, and feel, the ordinary. For me, that’s where I find the extraordinary. And that’s where joy is, which means it’s all around me, every day. Easy matter to bliss out, then.

Here are a few other places to find bliss (courtesy of Wikipedia, my current home page):

A song by the English rock band Muse
A 1997 film with Terrance Stamp
A corner in Massachusetts
A fort in texas
A small crater on the moon
A children’s picture book by JRR Tolkien

We’re taught we have to earn it, deserve it, get it from someone else, or just get lucky, but I think it’s there for the taking. Bliss is a choice. Most days, I say yes.