There are those days, those times, when we need a private space. Some place that provides us with a sense of security. The place could be mental or physical.<\/p>\n
Even for a young prince<\/em> of the household… which I certainly was, catered to by my Mom and Dad… Mommie Soph, Paul, Lynn and Bessie… there were some days\u00a0lost in solitary play, other days camouflaged by worry and fear… and strangely, always a\u00a0happy warmth.<\/p>\n Maybe it was because I rebelled against taking naps. Or maybe it was a laissez-faire <\/em>approach that my parents took to a child coming nine years after Lynn. Regardless, there was a point when my childhood naps were not structured<\/em>. They took place on an ad hoc<\/em> basis\u00a0when I tired from play… and I would simply\u00a0drop down to catch a few winks where ever I happened to be. Under the dinning room table. Behind the wing chair in the living room. On an arbitrary\u00a0stair leading up to the second floor.<\/p>\n Or, in my private space<\/em>.<\/p>\n The banister on the staircase from the center hall\u00a0curled to the right\u00a0at the base and at its foot\u00a0there was\u00a0a small place that was perfect for a temporary perch… somewhat hidden from view and next to a radiator.<\/p>\n The radiator part proved important for naps during the winter months… it made the small\u00a0space even\u00a0cozier.<\/em> I would pigeon hole myself there, knees drawn up, arms crossed to retain warmth… and I would drift into a nap, listening to the general murmur of the home, footsteps,\u00a0activity in the kitchen and\u00a0muffled voices.<\/p>\n If our Bedlington Terriers took notice of me, I can’t say.<\/p>\n I can remember liking that I was out of the regular trade route<\/em> of the house, that my presence, while obvious to me, could be misplaced… that I could be “lost”, yet still there… and found (if necessary).<\/p>\n The decades have passed. I am grateful that I have my “blue den-chair”, worn down to comfortable perfection. Great for slouching, hanging\u00a0my legs over the arms and good for promoting poor posture.\u00a0Ideal for reading, watching the tube, sipping a martini\u00a0or snoozing.<\/p>\n And occasionally when\u00a0the need for a nap sneaks up on me, my mind takes me to that private space on a winter’s morning, next to a gurgling radiator.\u00a0Even in memory it is a place of safety.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There are those days, those times, when we need a private space. Some place that provides us with a sense of security. The place could be mental or physical. Even for a young prince of the household… which I certainly … Continue reading