Do you have a happy place?

[Galatea]

I have a happy place- it is a public gardens near where I live. It's like an English garden in how it's landscaped. The rose garden is a little like stepping into Heaven, I would think. It smells wonderful, and is so fragrant that you can smell the roses yards away. It's peaceful and beautiful. I've seen deer, rabbits, squirrels, and yesterday a raccoon. Not to mention birds and insects of all kinds. Whenever I go walking there, I always feel better. Do any of you have happy places? And if you do, what are they like?

 

[Jack of Spades]

Do any of you have happy places? And if you do, what are they like?

I used to have, but I have moved since. It was a forest where I encountered something that I have to date no clear idea what it is, but I usually call it a forest spirit. It was always there, in that place, and I have never encountered it outside of that forest. As if the forest itself was communicating with me telepathically. Yeah it sounds bizarre and it's not exactly what it was, but it's the best I can do to explain it.

It was my first clear spiritual experience which I haven't to date been able to explain in Christian context, and that experience sparked my interest in nature-based religions, like Paganism.

 

[MotherFirefly]

I have a place I have retreated to a handful of times in my life. Put into the simplist of words - It's the smell of fresh bread, and a stream of pink sunlight dancing on my mom's hand as she tucked my hair from my eyes and kissed my forehead.
I cannot remember the reason I was crying, however that memory of comfort and love has carried me through some dark moments.

As melodramatic as I may sound, it is a significant thing to me, and I consider it my "happy place".

 

[Galatea]

I

I used to have, but I have moved since. It was a forest where I encountered something that I have to date no clear idea what it is, but I usually call it a forest spirit. It was always there, in that place, and I have never encountered it outside of that forest. As if the forest itself was communicating with me telepathically. Yeah it sounds bizarre and it's not exactly what it was, but it's the best I can do to explain it.

It was my first clear spiritual experience which I haven't to date been able to explain in Christian context, and that experience sparked my interest in nature-based religions, like Paganism.

I don't think it sounds bizarre. I think there is a spirit in natural places that can speak to us in a way that nothing else quite can. Have you ever read anything by John Muir? He was a Scottish American naturalist. He was really in love with the natural world. His prose about nature is like poetry (he has some of that Scottish mysticism), his love of nature was in a Christian context.

 

[Galatea]

I have a place I have retreated to a handful of times in my life. Put into the simplist of words - It's the smell of fresh bread, and a stream of pink sunlight dancing on my mom's hand as she tucked my hair from my eyes and kissed my forehead.
I cannot remember the reason I was crying, however that memory of comfort and love has carried me through some dark moments.

As melodramatic as I may sound, it is a significant thing to me, and I consider it my "happy place".

No, not melodramatic at all! That's lovely. I know when I am upset, I want nothing more than to hug my mother. I can remember something similar as a child, lying with my head in her lap while she stroked my hair. When I was a baby, she told me I could not sleep unless she rubbed my temples. I still like her to, when I am down! That's beautiful about your mother.

 

[Jack of Spades]

@MotherFirefly
That's very, very beautiful!

I

I don't think it sounds bizarre. I think there is a spirit in natural places that can speak to us in a way that nothing else quite can. Have you ever read anything by John Muir? He was a Scottish American naturalist. He was really in love with the natural world. His prose about nature is like poetry (he has some of that Scottish mysticism), his love of nature was in a Christian context.

I'm not familiar with John Muir, but if I can find some of his works online, can you gimme a link? I'd be interested to take a look at his writings.

The experience would be easier to understand for me if I felt that way in many natural places, then it would mean having a connection with nature generally. But it haven't yet happened outside that place. It's as if something, or some being was inhabiting it.

I'm curious about your views on nature too, if you would like to tell more? Just anything that comes to mind. Since you don't find my story bizarre, I assume that you have something to share too? If you don't want to put it in public, you can PM me if you like.

 

[tickingclocker]

I have a happy place- it is a public gardens near where I live. It's like an English garden in how it's landscaped. The rose garden is a little like stepping into Heaven, I would think. It smells wonderful, and is so fragrant that you can smell the roses yards away. It's peaceful and beautiful. I've seen deer, rabbits, squirrels, and yesterday a raccoon. Not to mention birds and insects of all kinds. Whenever I go walking there, I always feel better. Do any of you have happy places? And if you do, what are they like?

Anywhere near water. Even the bathtub, where everything melts away.

You know, maybe I should get one of those tabletop waterfalls, for when I'm on CF and someone makes a preposterous statement. Just turn it on. Sweet!

 

[Galatea]

Anywhere near water. Even the bathtub, where everything melts away.

Funny, I'm sitting by a river right now and looking at the water. Even the mosquitoes are tolerable, since the water is so peaceful. I know what you mean about baths, I think the bathtub is one of my other happy places.

 

[Galatea]

@MotherFirefly
That's very, very beautiful!



I'm not familiar with John Muir, but if I can find some of his works online, can you gimme a link? I'd be interested to take a look at his writings.

The experience would be easier to understand for me if I felt that way in many natural places, then it would mean having a connection with nature generally. But it haven't yet happened outside that place. It's as if something, or some being was inhabiting it.

I'm curious about your views on nature too, if you would like to tell more? Just anything that comes to mind. Since you don't find my story bizarre, I assume that you have something to share too? If you don't want to put it in public, you can PM me if you like.

I'll pm you when I get home, with a link. What I have to say about nature may sound heretical, or at least transcendental.

 

[tickingclocker]

Funny, I'm sitting by a river right now and looking at the water. Even the mosquitoes are tolerable, since the water is so peaceful. I know what you mean about baths, I think the bathtub is one of my other happy places.

We all need a happy place to go to.

 

[Galatea]

We all need a happy place to go to.

Yes, I think so. I pity people who have no escape. I think about shut-ins, or people who live in slums or something with no change of perspective. If we have a happy place, we're blessed.

 

[Toro]

As far as a physical location: A town outside San Diego in the El Cajon area.

It is Southern California so its warm enough to avoid bitter cold winters, but California so the humidity is next to nothing and the "heat" is a joke for this Texan. The closest to "perfect" all year round weather.

Even on their "record breaking heat wave" I still shivered if I stepped into the shade. (And they looked at me like I was insane, shivering in their hear wave)

I almost moved there about a decade and a half ago, but..... the cost of living is crazier than they thought I was for shivering 1500 for a studio apartment.

It was a great area as it was around pretty much everything. Dessert, lakes, mountains... it had it all and the weather was amazing.

 

[Galatea]

As far as a physical location: A town outside San Diego in the El Cajon area.

It is Southern California so its warm enough to avoid bitter cold winters, but California so the humidity is next to nothing. The closest to "perfect" all year round weather.

Even on their "record breaking heat wave" I still shivered if I stepped into the shade. (And they looked at me like I was insane, shivering in their hear wave)

I almost moved there about a decade and a half ago, but..... the cost of living is crazier than they thought I was for shivering 1500 for a studio apartment.

It was a great area as it was around pretty much everything. Dessert, lakes(such as below), mountains... it had it all and the weather was amazing.

It is beautiful! Thanks for sharing it. I can totally see why you'd want to live there. The views are breathtaking.

 

[alsughasoughaiuyfygh]

.

 

[John Hyperspace]

I really enjoy the natural places, but can't say I find happiness in them; but, perhaps, a temporal solace. I suppose the closest thing to a "happy place" I can find in this world, is in the presence of certain few, people.

 

[Galatea]

Inside my own mind.

I've created an entire world for myself where I would be happy and best thing is, I can bring it anywhere with me. My mind is constantly thinking and day dreaming about things. It's a way of coping with the unpleasant realities of life. Some might be a little uncomfortable with that since it's for some people, fantasy and reality eventually gets blurred. So far, it has not been the case for me.

I often imagine myself on another planet with an alien race that looks like my avatar and live in a Mesoamerican culture. I end up changing the face of their world by being like Leonardo da Vinci with inventions, art and scientific discoveries.

I actually think that's great! Imagination is never a bad thing, even if it does get tangled up in reality. My late sister made all kinds of family trees of fictitious people and their personalities, professions, etc. She could talk about them to me for hours. I think it's great, and you might be an author. I don't know if you ever tried writing about your place, but many authors started out with imaginary worlds first before coming up with a plot. C. S. Lewis imagined Narnia as a kid before writing about it at age 50, I think.

 

[Galatea]

I really enjoy the natural places, but can't say I find happiness in them; but, perhaps, a temporal solace. I suppose the closest thing to a "happy place" I can find in this world, is in the presence of certain few, people.

It is good to be able to find happiness in a people, even if it is just a few. I think most of us only have a few people we can really be completely at ease with, 100%.

 

[Jack of Spades]

I'll pm you when I get home, with a link. What I have to say about nature may sound heretical, or at least transcendental.

No worries about getting heretical, I don't mind! I didn't exactly pass the final exam on Christian orthodoxy myself...

 

[timewerx]

Yes, I think so. I pity people who have no escape. I think about shut-ins, or people who live in slums or something with no change of perspective. If we have a happy place, we're blessed.

Sadly, that's me. I'm working on an escape plan though. Mission to escape third world so I could get better progress on my scientific research!

Anyway, I do have a happy place. But like Wayholka's, it's not real. It's also in my head.

It kinda looks like this:

 

[thehehe]

My family house in my lost countryside. My grand father and my great grand father came from it to cities, but they always brought their children to our countryside. So when my mom and her sister both married and had children, they bought a big, beautiful house with a big garden that we all renovated. I spent all my Christmas and my summer holidays there, and my brothers and sisters are all very close to my beloved cousins. We were almost brought up together. Even now, when the family is becoming larger, we try to be all there for Christmas. I spend hours walking around the village, riding my cousin's horse (or more likely watching her ride), discussing and joking with my cousins, aunt and uncle, enjoying a peaceful place. That is my happy place, where my dear family is. That is OUR happy place, where we can all be ourselves and have a wonderful time, with the nicest complicity.