One of the “photo a day” challenges that I do had the prompt “Happy Place”. Now, others have posted actual locations, and that’s fine, that’s their happy place and the images looked lovely. However, for me, it didn’t seem that this really was My Happy Place.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been to loads of places that have made me happy and I would love to go back to those places again. Key West, Las Vegas, Disney (Florida) – and I’m sure that there are also places that I’ve not been to yet that I would like as well. Similarly, we moved down from London to the West Country as we loved this part of the country; and living in an old 18th-century cottage with a garden and wide open spaces front and back is idyllic.
But then, I’m equally happy when I’m sitting at my desk either drawing, or photographing toys, or writing blogs on my laptop; lost in my ideas and imagination.
I realised that my Happy Place (and I suspect many others too) is simply where ever I am when I’m happy. A Happy Place isn’t a place to retreat to, with the hope that whatever is troubling you will magically go away. A Happy Place is where you are, right here, right now. It’s not a physical place; heck, it’s not a metaphoric one either – your Happy Place is your right now.
Or is it just that because I try to be positive and optimistic that my Happy Place is in fact all the places that I mentioned? Can you have more than one Happy Place? I’m not sure, but I won’t worry too much about it; after all, I’m in my happy place.
The Black Crane 