A PEAK EXPERIENCE

This is what my wife calls it. Those moments when you are overwhelmed by bliss. When you feel how good, how right life can be.

I had one of these yesterday. My younger son, Andrew, and I drove down to the airport to pick up my older son, Evan, who flew in from L.A. On the way back we stopped at the Santa Rosa Mall where we voluntarily jumped into the busiest, most crowded—almost insane—ocean of shoppers I had ever witnessed. Somehow, we made it out alive and relatively unscathed—although the mental impressions of too many people in too small a place crowded my head for much of the trip up to Mendocino County. Evan gave me high marks for sticking it out for a full three hours of he and his brother trying on just about every jersey in every sports store.

Both boys are wise shoppers compared to me. Most of the purchases they made were in the Dollar Store. I usually panic when faced with so many selections, and buy something, anything, just to feel I’ve done it, so I can escape.

It was during the ride north, while I sat in the back seat of the pick up, that the experience came upon me. Andrew drove with Evan selecting the music. At one point I realized that, for me, this was life at its peak—a father witnessing his two sons enjoying themselves together—no bickering, no competition, just driving and listening to music. As we headed through Hopland, I stretched out across the back seat pretending to be asleep just so I could witness the scene and feel the bliss.

It was just pure feeling; no thinking necesary. The music was too loud for that. I refrained from yelling my usual, "turn down the music!" I just went with the flow and; let the experience overcome me, even with the sub woofer vibrating just inches below my head beneath the seat. I felt like the bassists in Guns ‘n Roses and Alice in Chains were plunking the strings somewhere inside my brain. But it didn’t matter. Finally, I realized, I had learned how to let go.