OUR SPECIAL PLACE

"Now I see the secret of making the best persons-------It is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth." Walt Whitman

I opened up one of my old books today titled "Rustic Retreats" and in the introduction there was a good description of the rustic retreat. It is written by David and Jeanie Stiles and they say: "The appeal of a rustic retreat or hideaway is universal...It is a refuge where you can meditate, dream, clear your mind of worry, and achieve a degree of tranquility. Today, more than ever, we need to have a place to escape from our high-powered electronic civilization with its hectic pace. A rustic retreat can be a temporary escape from cell phones, fax machines, computers, and beepers."

"...All of these rustic retreats, whether deep in the forest, in an open meadow, high on a mountain or on the water, surround you with the magic of nature and help you to escape from the pressures and tension of everyday life."

This got me to thinking about my own choice. Granted, I call it "rustic" because it is built mostly of wood, with the outside all shingled and the inside almost entirely made of wood too (redwood and pine). But, despite the fact that I call it rustic, the general appeal of living here, from the very beginning, was exactly what the Stiles' speak about in this introduction.

It was always supposed to be an escape from city life. It was always intended to surround us with nature and give us a feeling of tranquility and peace. We love the quiet here. We love the darkness. There are no street lights here. We hear all sorts of creatures here, morning, noon, and night. They are not drowned out by the sound of sirens and cars and the noise that comes along with living in a city. I enjoy my life here in our little corner of the world. It offers me the solace that I need and the ability to be me, in what ever manner I choose.

A side note: I noticed when I opened up this book that it is a Storey book. Melanie of Secret Notebooks-Wild Pages works at Storey books. I love their mission statement:

"The mission of Storey Communications is to serve our customers by publishing practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony with the environment."

No wonder Melanie works there ! What a great thread to be woven through your entire company and employees. If all companies had this mission statement perhaps our country would not be in the shape it is as far as the environment is concerned.