…Easy Feeling

I had a great time last night. It was a more impactful night for me than it was for Pam, but she thoroughly enjoyed it, too. On the surface, it was a simple gathering in a Santa Monica brew pub, but the surface is not adequate to articulate the impact the evening had on me. There were not more than 15 or so of us, nestled around a table amidst a throng of young(er) strangers having a wonderful time, but that was enough, enabling us to enjoy a couple of hours of nostalgic memories.

I woke up this morning with the Eagles Peaceful Easy Feeling on my mind, something I have never done before, and, most likely, something I will never do again. As I pondered why the song was on a continuous loop inside my head, I realized how perfectly it summed up how I felt last night.

I was at peace. I was carefree. I was happy. Despite the turmoil of the world and the daily grind of life, I was able to relax and be fully present for several hours. Even though I had not seen many of them for decades and even though I may not see many of them again, I was able to completely focus on them, on what they were doing, on what they have done, and on our shared memories of the time we spent together in elementary school way more than 50 years ago.

I am glad I experienced it. It was a more intimate, more intense version of what Pam and I will experience tonight as we attend our 50th high school reunion. We will have a great time tonight, but it will not evoke, nor could it evoke, the depth of feelings that I felt last night and carried over to today.

When songs stick in my head, I usually listen to them and then listen to various covers of them. Generally, it does not take me long to find a great cover. This morning was different. Because I was so focused on feelings and memories of the past, the covers were jarring instead of soothing. I found myself replaying the original between playing the covers, something I never do.

At first, I was surprised by this. The more I thought about it, though, the more I understood why. I had to hear the original, nothing else could work.