Friday, April 15, 2005

MY FAVORITE PLACE

A couple of months ago the assignment for Judithheartsong's Artsy Essay contest was to write about about your favorite place to be.  I'll get the exact assignment after I do this entry.

I thought about my favorite places like the Bozeman Valley in Montana, The Jackson Hole area in Wyoming, The Hawaiian Islands, Northern and Southern California, the whole state of Oregon, the view from an airplane of the huge mountains in the northwest, or cities like London and Paris, or places like camping in the Canadian woods, sitting on a hill looking at mountains, riding horseback in the wilderness, having dinner on a cruise on Lake Michigan with the sun going down behind the skyline of my favorite city, Chicago, blah blah blah.  The usual postcard stuff.

And then I got real. Not that I don't love all those spots. But my absolute favorite places in the whole world are so much closer to home. One of the best places is lying in my hammock at night looking up at the stars with a log on the outdoor fireplace to help keep the bugs away. And a long stick to roast marshmallows from a reclining position.

My other favorite place is spending Sunday mornings at home lazing around in my bed, watching the TV show Sunday Morning on CBS and talking to my daughters on the phone. Or writing in my journal.

The last thing I felt like doing for that month's contest was taking the time and effort to write it up, say like this:

There is a special place where my heart and soul can rest and rehabilitate.  Where my spirit enjoys a respite from the long days of work and the obligations of this life.
Where I can be who I want to be without interruption.  And yet stay connectedto the world.

What B.S.

But I would have written it to try to win the contest. And I wouldn't have won. Because writing the description narrative isn't my strong suite.  Writing the cynical narrative is. More like this:

You can have your Callard and Bowser candies on your pillow in a charming bed and breakfast in Bath, England.  You can have the smell of the salt air and worry about the swans pooping next to the swank table where you are sitting in the dining room of the Hyatt Resort on Maui.  You can have watching the moon at midnight from the back of the Staten Island Ferry as it leaves the tip of Manhattan and all those strange. homeless people in its wake.  

Because you can't top the feeling of pure joy and thankfulness of waking up at home on your own Stearns and Foster pillow top mattress, after a week of staying in Holiday Inns and watching focus groups from behind a two way mirror, in rooms so dark you need a catle prod to keep from dozing off.

Yep. Lying in my own bed with all the pillows and blankets to myself. With nothing I have to do and no place I have to be all day. That is truly my all time favorite place.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'll have to say amen to that entry. I've been to Paris, Hawaii, cruises, amsterdamn, Fl, Ca, Pa, canada, ark, Tn, Al, las vegas, and other places I'm sure that just doesn't come to mind right now. I would not trade one of those visits and loved each and every place I've been but my favorite place is at my 65 acher ranch with my animals in my log cabin and in my house only a mile away from my ranch in my own back yard that I have taken ideas from all the places I've visited and brought them to my own yard. I love having all my plants and tropical heaven right in my own back yard with my pool, fountain, hot tub, firepit,and my beautiful home my husband left me after his death. we worked 17 yrs making our home just like we wanted every inch of it to be. I have beautiful satin sheets and comforter on my bed in my favorite blue colors and every room in my house is just like I want everything to be so here right here is my favorite place to be. I have a perfect casino job, ranch, animals, home and yard with lakes, woods.pool hot tub and Honey to share it with I love where I'm at with whom I'm with and a beautiful daughter I'm putting through college who lives at home. God Has Blessed me. This is all my heart could possible want. My husband worked so hard and left if all for me and until I'm in heaven with him this is my heaven
http://journals.aol.com/judypearllove/ToBlessedToBeStressed/
and
http://journals.aol.com/judypearllove/MomentsofJudyPearl/
come on into my world and visit I'd love for you to. Great entry and thank you for sharing your perfect place to be

Anonymous said...

Cliff and I love CBS Sunday Morning, and that show was MADE to be watched from between the sheets.  I have so many favorite places I write about all the time, but I don't enter Judith's contests because (a) I'm not artsy and (b) I don't like contests; I'm just not competitive.

Anonymous said...

Amen to the sanctity of high-count fitted sheets and a good pillow. Now, if I can just get Judi's address...

Anonymous said...

Hey! Stop stealing the covers, Woman.

Anonymous said...

You're right!   Goofing around at home on Sunday is MY fav, too.  The mell of coffee and bacon in the morning ... music playing softly on the radio ... the SundayTimes ... 'sigh' ...