On Saturday morning, I dodged around puddles of bubbles. There was horse manure, strollers with babies, palm branches, and coconuts too.
Why?
The Bubble Run.
After waking before the roosters at 5:30 am, I drove an hour to the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii to run this 5K race. Despite my frustration that my Garmin watch said I only ran 4.3 K, the physical exercise left me feeling content for the day. I showed up and that is the hardest part. I applaud myself for that.
In the afternoon, I carpooled to the Hoomaluhia Botanical Gardens on the windward side. As we were a bit lost looking for the group’s picnic table, Justin the driver asked “Are these our hippies?” I saw a familiar face. “Yes, these are our people. This is our sangha.”
We enjoyed a full spread of delicious foods. Or as Hawaiians call them pupus, like purple Okinawan sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie. I got to chip away at some of my favorite problems in life with wiser Zen friends. Two epiphanies surfaced on my mindset and career path:
- Instead of using the word to improve myself which implies I am inadequate, I will use the word develop.
- The act of applying for a Master’s in Educational Psychology can be a rewarding process in it itself, even if I am unsure
Sitting in a circle with folks from many different walks of life, I felt intellectually and socially enriched.
In the evening, I played dress up with my friend Hannah. I got to explore spontaneity with what to wear to the Halloween event at the Honolulu Museum of Art. I shifted away from being Rosie the Riveter to a woman in the 50s wearing a loud print. It made me feel vibrant and the most alive. Some might also call me a Hawaiian Barbie.
Keiki (children) dressed up in costumes and paraded around with dance routines and played with Legos. The bubbles of my Perrier were popping along with the ambiance of the energy in this space.
While wandering around the museum and its Europeanesque courtyards, and staring at Pointillist Impressionist art and the flower exhibit, I got lost in thought on the brevity of life.
At 8:30 pm on the dot, the docent kicked me out of the museum. The dancefloor of the bar down the street called my name. The DJ was electric. My mint mocktail tasted marvelous.
I’d been awake for 18 hours, so I called it a night and scooted my moped home. That was my full send Saturday. It was a hoot.
Before this, lately, I’ve felt in a rut. Much of this is the transition from my travel-filled and wedding-celebratory summer to the fall season. This is on top of the infestation of fleas in my home and the paranoia of them crawling on me in my attempts to sleep. There’s already been talk from friends who are ready for a clean slate in the new year. What about the rest of this year though?
I was feeling low energy and not wanting to celebrate life until creating this full send Saturday.
Full Send Saturday as defined by Urban Dictionary is a day meant for shenanigans no sane or sober person dares attempt. But for me, it’s defined differently. I turned the barometer up on my sober curious year with full sobriety. This means that my full send Saturday doesn't involve inebriation.
For me, full send Saturday means filling your day with whatever fills your internal cup with exuberance and joie de vivre.
This involved all the things I love.
- Spending time with myself in the morning doing my solo run for my fitness.
- An intellectual afternoon outside with acquaintances.
- A joyous playful evening dressing up with a dear friend then prancing off to the museum to watch people, take in art and dance.
Saturday was one helluva day that energized the heck out of me.
I encourage you to build your own Full Send Saturday. There’s plenty of energy lying around to make the most of the rest of this year.
(When you do I’d love to hear about how it goes and how you feel after :)
