Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Full Circle



I used to hate going to bars. Last night I was trying to remember when that changed, trying to follow the sequence of events during which the Matchbox Bar on Capitol Hill became one of my power spots. How could that be? A bar?? Weird.

After several years of working in restaurants and bars, I became weary of the noise, the vibe. When I quit working in restaurants, a part of me believed I would never again understand the infatuation people have with restaurants.

Time passed, and, too, smoking is now prohibited - which makes a big difference. Also, my professional and personal life are both very quiet, subdued. At work it's just me and my client in a peaceful, healing atmosphere in which neither one of us speaks. We listen to music while I go about my work: dancing, sculpting and praying. There is an almost reverent atmosphere in the treatment room. At home there are times when I'm dancing around, or cooking, but still, it's just me.

Sometimes it's great to place myself in the midst of a lot of people, to bellow over the cacaphony of rowdy folks drinking and eating. In fact, going out for lunch, dinner and/or drinks is my favorite way to hang out with friends.

And now I am a bit appalled, also a bit tickled, to realize that somehow, unbeknownst to me, the Matchbox Bar has become a Reya-power spot, every bit as potent as the Summerhouse on the Capitol Grounds, or the banks of the Potomac River (both of those locations are also Reya-power spots, i.e. places where I gather energy and life force).

As Renee and I left the Matchbox last night, one of my favorite bartenders said, "Goodnight my friends." We ARE his friends, that's the crazy thing. We really are. OK, so maybe I should put that old TV series "Cheers" in the netflix queue? Maybe.


We named the woman on the right side of the pic "Queen Mab" because of her beautiful red hair, white skin and the fact that she was wearing a satiny, kelly green skirt. The woman looking at the camera is another regular, someone who met her true love while sitting at the bar.

6 comments:

ellen abbott said...

Oh, I'm not surprised. You have to suck up energy from somewhere, you give so much of it away. local spots that one frequents are more like going to a friend's house where there is a gathering all the time. and the no smoking helps. I didn't like going to bars when they were smoke filled.

you know, they put up such a fuss about the smoking ban, claiming it would ruin their business, people would stop coming. I'll bet their business increased instead because all the non-smokers quit staying away.

Reya Mellicker said...

Every smoker I know freaked out about the ban - now they just step out on the sidewalk for a smoke. The change was nothing but good for everyone.

Jo said...

Well, this all make perfect sense to me, Reya. You're simply seeking balance,and what a great place you've found for it!

Reya-power...oh, YEAH. After being there with you, I can totally see how these regulars become friends. It's like a coffee klatch, only cooler!

Have a slider trio for me some time, okay? YUM.

steven said...

reya - i've played in bars, danced in bars, had lotsa drinks in bars, held hands in bars, looked out windows in bars, opened and closed bars, but i never left with more energy than i came in with. quite the opposite. i think we create energy portals . . . or we don't. steven

Reya Mellicker said...

Sometimes I go to the Matchbox to blow off steam. I gather a lot of energy while working. Sometimes a big blow out of talking too loudly, laughing too much, really helps clear my field.

Or ... I'm full of shit. Who knows?

Nancy said...

Nothing wrong with going to a place where everyone knows your name. :-)