Where Is Your Haven?

Where is your escape from the real world? Your shelter? Your retreat? Your piece of heaven? Your personal haven?

I know where my wife’s haven is? It actually has two addresses. One is in Orlando Florida, and the other is Oak Island, North Carolina. She loves Disney World. Marilyn feels like a little kid there, full of wonder and excitement for all that’s there—from the colorful characters to the fireworks that light up the sky at night. That’s her idea of a vacation, or the real world at home where the laundry gathers and bills mount. She even likes to take me with her on excursions to Disney. Even though Tigger is rather hyperactive, I don’t mind taking a picture with Tigger and my happy wife.

If she can’t be at Disney World, then the next best place is Oak Island. The first time we stayed at Oak Island it was at a “cottage” that was right on the ocean. The land itself had to be worth over a million dollars. We felt “rich” staying there. We had lots of room, sunlight, and ocean. Our five grandkids visited us for part of our stay. We all had a grand time. We treasured our time together and took lots of photos, but I will spare you the family album. But the time certainly flew by at the sea.

Where’s my haven? My haven has a number of different addresses—performing poetry for kids at schools and libraries; golfing on my favorite golf course; biking on my road bike along the Erie Canal; eating my bluffin at Hess Express; sitting in my den near the gas stove; writing in my den while time flies; being part of a lively writing workshop or book festival; reclining on my recliner; watching a fascinating TV drama; digging into a slippery bucket of salty popcorn at Tinseltown, and watching events unfold on the big screen.

Where was Charles Dickens’ haven? (I thought you would never ask.) It was in Cowsville. I kid you not. He admitted that “Cows are my passion. What I have ever sighed for has been to retreat to a Swiss farm, and live entirely surrounded by cows and china.”

So where is your haven beyond daily chores and worries? Please tell my readers in the comment space. I sure would like to know. I'll leave you with a photo of our first beach house that we stayed at...