Places And Spaces

"Places suggest security and spaces suggest freedom"  I am not sure that is the exact quote by Taun, but it is close.  These are words I first heard on CBC, then came home and looked up the quote on my computer. Then, as the process always goes with me, the words roll around in my mind until I regurgitate them in writing, usually in this blog,

For me the words definitely have a strong ring of truth.  Certain places, especially the place that is home to me now, definitely equates security.  I can think of two other places where I work, petsitting and housesitting, where I feel comfortable and secure almost immediately upon entering. Libraries are places of pleasure and security to me.  I can get almost giddy when entering a library or a used book store.  For whatever reason new book stores don't have that effect on me. New book stores are to clean and tidy.  I am not against cleanliness or tidiness but libraries and used bookstore always have a little dust around and are not always the tidiest places I have been.

Spaces suggest freedom.  For me freedom and spaces can be scary places.  I am most able to explore them when I am coming from a place of security.  I have in my life set out for places that were hundreds or even thousands of miles away from home.  Almost always these places were work related.  And I have to admit that it can be fun.  In the early 1970s I went to work in Thompson, Manitoba.  When I first arrived I did not know one person, not even the persons who met me at the airport.  I made a decision then that I had never made before or since, I could and would completely give myself a new identity.  I would be confident rather than shy, I would be happy rather than apprehensive, I would be a woman of the world rather than the scared child/woman who really lived in my body.

This was a strange experiment for me.  And it worked.  I became what I pretended to be, until it didn't feel like pretending anymore.  I opened a sales division like it was something I had done many times before, when in fact it was the first time I had ever done it.  I came to be able to give direction to salespeople and they listened to me.  Everyone that I came to know their considered me to be a strong, knowledgeable woman and eventually even I believed it.  it was a wonderful experience although I can remember thinking "someone is going to find out that I am not this strong, experienced person that I seem to be.  That didn't happen.  I left after the year's contact was up and my secret was never found out.

I guess to sum up my take on this quote:  If I am coming from a place of security and love I can take on the spaces out there.

October is ending, the morning glories and most of the other plants on and around the deck are frost bitten.  The days are getting shorter and the nights longer.  I am in a warm, loving secure place and I am even looking forward to the winterness that will soon be upon us.

Tuesday, October 29th, 2013................8:27p.m.