Home: A place where one lives; a residence. The physical structure within which one lives, such as a house or apartment. A dwelling place together with the family or social unit that occupies it; a household; An environment offering security and happiness; A valued place regarded as a refuge or place of origin; The place, such as a country or town, where one was born or has lived for a long period.Home is an interesting concept. While driving from PA to Columbus with my boss today, he asked how I came to be in Ohio. When I mentioned that it was the longest I had really lived in one place he said, "Well, I suppose that it's home then..." I paused, and I'm still not sure how to answer.
What is home to you? I'm curious because the traditional model is where you grew up, but we kind of moved around. Mom and Dad are now in FL and that's certainly not home for me (although it one day might be). My brother and sis-in-law live in NC and that's not home to them or me - hopefully they will make their way North at some point as well. My birthplace of Huntington, WV was "home" for all intents and purposes for a while but now that Granny has moved away and we don't have family there, well that's not home either. I used to think of Lewisburg (where I spent my teens) as home but after my brief visit there this past summer I realize that's certainly not home.
Sigh...
Anyway, is home where you live at the time - where all of your shit resides? Not necesarily, as my shit is currently in a temporary locale. Is it where the preponderence of your family is? That makes a little sense, because that sense of togetherness that informs the concept of home can be found by being with them - as long as you like your family and enjoy their company.
Not to be too obtuse (stop laughing please), but I'm starting to think that "home" resides within the self. The saying, "Wherever you go, there you are" is a very factual and honest assesment. If you are unhappy at your physical 'home', then perhaps when you go to work it is that place where you feel most comfortable - but is work 'home'? However, I can't imagine that someone in Leavenworth thinks of their little 6 x 8 cell as 'home', but unless they are at peace with themselves internally can anything really be 'home' to them...or any of us?
Additionally, what once made me 'happy' no longer carries the power to do so to the same extent. Whether we become slightly numbed to those 'happy' catalysts through familiarity or repetition, we commonly seek new pathways for happiness throughout our lives. Its a common part of our personal growth and maturity. "For ye shall put away childish things..." as an example of the age-old nature of this phenomenon. The primary variance with the 'happiness' statement is the time I spend with my children and even that time spent has its highs and lows.
So what has all of this mental meandering accomplished? Not very much to be quite honest. However, I do hope its brought you to a brief pause to consider what 'home' and 'happiness' mean to you...in the past, present and future.
5 comments:
Couldnt agree more - home is within yourself. Its a good place to be if you are at peace with it - with all its quirks, idiosyncrasies, and fantastic-ness (is that a word? I dont think so). Only you can be truly home.
Fun, deep questions. When we moved to NC, people asked where we were from. I said we moved here from KY, but my home was Los Angeles as I'd lived there for 20 years. But I also spent most summers and other vacations in MN and WI, so those states are awfully homey, too. As for home being in your mind, that's sort of fitting, although as I'm going through a spell of soul-searching (who I am? what do I want to be when I grow up? do I have a larger life mission?), I'm not as comfy in my own skin as I'd hope. But time spent with Geek #1 and Muffin helps me retain a center at least. Maybe 'home' is indeed your state of mind when doing things that make you happy...so I'm off to get some happiness-inducing chocolate!
I have not had the opportunity to live anyplace else other than Las Vegas for all of my 38 years. I love it here and it will always be home for me in my heart (in case Terry ever moves me to So. Cal. as he frequently threatens). But I do think that home is where you are, where your stuff is, where your puppies anxiously await your return....and where the fricking jury summons' find you.
I have found myself stopping mid sentence when I use the word 'home' when describing Connecticut. I have not lived there for almost 12 years and the house I grew up in is no longer in the family.
i see my former house quite often and always stop and look at the changes that have been made. I wondered the other day if they found the etchings i made in the wooden window sills as a child declaring my distain for my mother.
i lost my sense of home for quite a while. i was staying with family but it was never home to me. My things were not there, my freedoms were not there but most importantly...my comfort was not there.
I can do with out my crap but can i do without comfort to be who i am...to say what i need to say...to be accepted and loved for who I am...no. that is my home. I sometimes find it within 4 walls, or by using my hilton key, or found with friends who don't need a reason why you showed up on their door but simply say...welcome home.
...what k-dunn said. and dae, since i just got a #*%$ing federal jury duty summons; did you know that you are "on call" for two months with that crap now??? anyway, san antonio--as annoying as it is to you, gentle cavs fan--is "home". it felt that way even as an army brat, as so many of my summers were spent there with the GPs. then, from 5th grade on, it was literally home until college, and i guess with friends there and family there, it just rooted itself as home, by and by. strangely, there really arent many friends there, and no more family there, but its still home. that said, at this point, my metaphysical, familial home is anywhere i find leo--it's weird how much soulful stability his presence brings me, but it is nonetheless comforting!
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