It was kind of silly, very over the top with all the lights and advertisements, kiss cams and scantily dressed ice girls. I sat there thinking about it and not sure what was so strategic about this game of watching men on skates chase a puck around an icy oval, a game where there doesn't even seem to be any rules... And then, something strange happened. One of the players started fighting with another one from the opposing team. The crowd cheered and the referees stood in a circle around the two brawling fellows.... then, dramatically, the security people ran from the top of the steps down to the rink to hold back a potential outburst from an angry crowd (there wasn't any, the game had just started 5 minutes before, so they were still eating their pizza). Meawhile, the two players beat the shit out of each other until one fell onto the other one, and finally, the refs interfered. No penalties, just roars of pleasure from the people in the stands. I was like, "What the hell was that?" My sister said to me, "Just part of the show."

The "show?" I really didn't get that. I thought that this was a hockey game? And yeah, I know I just wanted to be at home, so the eye I was looking through to observe all this was tainted with that ~ It does make a difference in perception of the present: being somewhere and wanting to be somewhere else. But, I wondered when I was up in the VIP area, what is so great about being a VIP? The beer is still watered down and the nachos still come in a cellophane bag and are dumped onto a plate. Sure, they take a little extra time dripping the processed cheese onto them and they do serve them on a black plastic instead of paper, but come on: they are ground corn, water and salt pasted together at a factory, baked, wrapped, delivered in a truck, opened up by someone who makes minimum wage, and then dumped out to be covered with something that only slightly resembles cheese. They aren't really real or any different from being in the regular people section. Except that there are more of them. And you have a choice of chicken or beef. And you can get more salsa on the side.

But, am I the only one who sees the things that aren't really real? Sometimes it seems like it.

Well, I tried to enjoy it, I'm a good faker ..but then, I did think to myself, ok this is where I am, I am meant to be here to see this (it's nice to pretend we have reasons for things we do, so that it makes them seem worthwhile). I thought, I am with my sister and she loves taking me places like this and she is buying, sooo... it's not costing me any money (except for the $4 hot fuge sundae with a scoop of watery "ice cream" and a teaspoon of hot fudge). And I said to myself, "Be Here Now. Eckhart Tolle says so." So did Ram Dass. I think Ram Dass said it first. But Eckhart Tolle said it recently. So anyhow, "Be here now." It's really good advice so as not to miss out on any life opportunities and lessons. Being present to your current reality is some pretty good counsel.

So, I took it all in and remained aware of it. I kept my focus on the "now," and as each moment weaved intself into the next, and eternity became the present, I was cognizant enough to realize the idea of "exactly where I am is where I need to be." And I came up with this profound conclusion: that my kitchen could have been just a little closer to being done if I would have stayed home.