My Favorite Room
is our downstairs family room. Hands
down favorite. We just painted it in a warm tan, almost but not quite adobe. The color embraces you, welcomes you.
It’s decorated
with Navajo art. Sand paintings, small
and large. Painted tiles of pueblos and
a desert ranch. A peace pipe. A large painting of a native women gazing at
a pueblo dwelling from a balcony.
I’m not sure why
or how I’ve come to love the Navajo culture.
I think it was early on when I’d read Louis L’Amour westerns. My dad had a large paperback library and I’d snatch
them after he’d read one, sometimes rereading the same one over and over. My dad knew I was reading them, so every now
and then, I’d find one on my dresser or my pillow. He and I liked the Sackett adventures the
most.
Later on I
started reading Tony Hillerman and it was he who introduced me to Jim Chee and
Joe Leaphorn and the Navajo culture and country. Since then, I’ve read and studied a bit on my
own. And our downstairs family room is
our . . . my . . . tribute to those people.
My Favorite Room
is peaceful. Cool in summer. Warm in winter. Restful.
I can
think. Imagine. Watch a movie. Rest and sometimes take a nap. Write a little . . . okay, a lot.
It’s my
sanctuary. My get away.
My Favorite
Room.
I think each of
us has a place where we go when we need to.
We need a place to go. To
recharge. Retreat. Regroup.
To think and plan. Perhaps
quietly celebrate. Maybe lick our
wounds. Sometimes alone. Sometimes with others. Mostly alone.
Each of us needs
a place like that. Without it, we run
out and get used up like a battery that loses its power or energy. Without it, we wind down and can’t wind back
up. Without it . . .
I suggest you
discover one of your own.
Within your
house like mine. Maybe outside of your
house. The back deck facing a
woods. A riverbank. A route you take for a walk or for a ride on
your bike.
Make it your
own. Use it when needed. And perhaps, even when it isn’t needed. Something to think about . . .
Live Your Life,
and Make A Difference!
Joe: I love your description of your Hideaway. I have a "study", getaway, room that I claim for solace. It's important to have a sanctuary.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dan. I agree. Everyone needs a sanctuary.
ReplyDelete