tummy full of cheese

In my socio mind, I don’t have a lot of happy places. I really don’t have a lot of happy in general.  I am ok with that, really I am. Sometimes a person’s “happy place” is not being happy at all. Ironic but kind of funny. Sometimes your happy place is a generic place, like the beach, (nope don’t like sand) or a real place like Italy (nope too many people). Read the room here folks, socio! A happy place can also be a state that you are in, like being in the zone, where the right elements come together and make you think, “WOW, this is the best, I have everything I need in the moment, I am comfortable, no one is getting on my nerves and my Zen is raging.”  I had one of those moments this week and it started with a tummy full of cheese…..

Let me set the scene, I am on a plane, which I know is not a happy place for a lot of people!  I had upgraded myself to first class, which I do sometimes when I have a flight as a little treat to myself. Some people like spas, you know who you are, (nope too much touching and smells). My happy place on a plane starts when I get to be in the #1 boarding line. There is something about getting on and off the plane first that delights me!  I don’t know why but it does.  It gets better when you can always find a spot for your carryon, and you get the seat that you picked out carefully.

Next is a seatmate that comes in and doesn’t talk to you except to say, excuse me, to get in their seat.  If I am really lucky, they come in with headphones already on their neck. SCORE!  There will be no idle small talk! I can do small talk, but I don’t like it. One of my kids once told me that I could talk to a rock or a wall. I definitely could. Best thing about a rock or a wall is that they don’t talk.  They leave you alone. Best small talk for a socio like me is no small talk.

The nice thing about someone who comes on the plane with headphones already on, is that it usually means they have a fabulous bladder!  This is code for “they don’t make you get up so they can use the bathroom.” Score extra points for that. Sometimes the good bladder people with the headphones just curl up against the window and go to sleep. It’s like the unicorn on the plane, no fuss no muss, no bothering me at all! Love it.

Ok, so are you now thinking, where’s the tummy full of cheese already?  Why is this called “tummy full of cheese?”  Are you curious? When will she get to that??? Patience, I am building suspense here. 

So, if you were to think about your “happy place” what would it be? Where would it be?  Who would be there or for me, not be there? Is it better to have a happy place that is not a place but more of a situation where you feel happy?  Then you can go to your happy place any time that lovely situation can be recreated.  That’s what I am building here. It’s like the perfect storm, when these certain elements come together, you are happy, content, satisfied. The forces in your world have come together and you are in a blissful state.

So, let’s do a quick recap here, I am on a plane, in first class, no middle seats, no small talk, seatmate with headphones and a large bladder.  There is a TV in front of me, a wireless charger on the large (all mine!!) armrest. The seat is wide and comfy, they have brought me a drink and a teeny tiny cup of warm nuts, strangely good and AGAIN, wait for it, no one is talking to me! I also have my headset, and I am listening to my Namaste playlist. No one can call me, and I can ignore all emails and texts if I want with a simple, “sorry I was on a plane and the Wi-Fi was so bad!”  Happy place, it couldn’t possibly get better than this, could it?

Then we hit 37,000 feet and lunch is being served.  I have preordered a cheese plate. It comes on a tiny little plate with a soft gray petite sized napkin, a tiny little fork, spoon and knife. Toddler sized but so cute.  I love it!  There is a tiny little salad, with a tiny cup of dressing, a warm soft little roll with a tiny pat of butter and a tiny little cup of Magnolia Bakery banana pudding. If I were a squealer, like someone I know, I would be squealing!  But I’m not, so I wasn’t, but I am happy. Oh, happy place!  Grapes, cheese, tiny crackers, cheese, tiny bread sticks, cheese, green olives (gross, toss those out) more cheese, a couple of obscene looking salami sticks (didn’t eat those), nuts, ironically and  more glorious cheese!  I eat slowly, wanting to make the happy place last. Twenty minutes later, here we go for those still reading this, I have a TUMMY FULL OF CHEESE!  Happy, happy, joy, joy!

I am sitting there in my happy purgatory, somewhere between the earth and heaven, for those of you that believe, no one can reach me, no one is talking to me, no one is farting (I will tell you another day, but 1^st classers fart A LOT!), tunes in my ear, you get the picture and I am as happy as my little socio soul can be….

Then, you’ll never guess it, cause it surprised me. My phone rang!  Wait what, can phones ring on a plane?  I am on the Wi-Fi, it was a Wi-Fi call, but that has never happened before. I felt like I would be taken off the plane if someone heard it. I quickly declined the call. Of course, it was a SPAM call but really on a plane?  WTF.

Tummy full of cheese, head full of snotty remarks and no one to talk to…….