Today’s Daily Prompt Challenge~
A sanctuary is a place you can escape to, to catch your breath and remember who you are. Write about the place you go to when everything is a bit too much.
The coolest thing about this challenge is that I need a place like this so rarely, I had to ask my darling husband to help me. I read him the challenge and then I asked him. ”Where do I go, when I need this?”
Yes, readers, we were this close!
My husband took this picture.
He reminded me of what I call my “angry drives” I get in my car, put in a favorite CD, crank it loud enough to make the rear view mirror rattle, and cruise out to my favorite driving spot.
There is a large roadside attraction at the South end of our fair city, and it has the smoothest, windiest and most peaceful access road leading to it. There are a lot of car dealerships in the area, so a lot of people use this road for test drives. It’s also the only place in town where you can drive 45 mph. Which doesn’t seem like much, but it’s enough. It is for the most part wide open, and a great place to see some killer sunrises if you happen to hit it at the right time of day.
In thinking about this, I was reminded that I don’t always need the car to accomplish this, even though that’s more fun. I can crank the tunes at home and make the drudgery of housework better anytime. I think we all retreat to music sometimes, when pummeling the face of a co-worker or loved one into meatloaf just isn’t an option.
It has an element of fantasy to it, and takes you to another world where you aren’t disappointed. It hearkens back to the days of singing into a hairbrush. You know your favorite songs, by your favorite bands or artists are never going to let you down.
I’m not one for wallowing, so I never curl up with tissues and ice cream to watch Lifetime Movies. I’m all about shrugging off the blues and putting the cheek back in Cheeky, and the dork back in Diva.
Here are just a few of tunes that never fail to make me feel better, no matter how hard life is stomping on my windpipe:
Venus-Bananarama
That Thing You Do-The Onders
A Higher Place-Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
Bad Things-Jace Everett
Supermassive Blackhole-Muse
Hold Me Tight-The Beatles
Animal-Neon Trees
Misery-Maroon 5
Bad Romance -Lady Ga Ga
Dark Days-Florence And The Machine
Australia-The Shins
No Sunlight-Death Cab for Cutie
Rhythm Of Love-Plain White Tees
The entire B52′s library
Nothing by Adele
Okay campers, where’s your happy place?
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Hmm, I work out in the garden or do a bit of retail therapy. Or drink. Or all three.
Sounds awesome.
Did I mention Skinny Cow ice cream? Add that to the drinking, shopping, and gardening. 150 calories of pure happiness. Oh, and old Gossip Girl on Netflix. That’s me later after New Girl. I’m having a REAL bad day. My kid is going to UK to be with his wife’s family for xmas (don’t get me started. I can’t even blog about that stuff cos she reads me) and I will truly be all alone. My kitty and doggy both died a while ago (natural causes /old age) and I haven’t been able to open my heart yet to a new petchild only to be broken, so my hubby (and my Chanel) is all I have. Sorry to vent here, but there’s so much I can’t say on my own blog…Anyway, thanks very much (seriously)!!
Hey! I’m all about the venting! I started a private stealth blog just to bag on people and things I hate! If my real blog didn’t take so much time (and whoring for new followers on Twitter) I’d be there all the time spewing rage! Happy Holidays and all that shit!
The mountains are my true oasis… but, I can only get there a couple times a year to recharge. So, my day to day oasis is probably my couch – I know when I sit down on it I’ve gotten everything done for the day I need to and I can finally relax and escape from the rest of my cares and concerns by visiting the worlds on the other side of the screen.
Thanks for sharing that with me. I do that too. Reading about other people’s lives is a great way to step back and reevaluate your own. Or just laugh my ass off. Like that too.
Perfect! Music is always a great way to escape.
When your choices are limited to violence or music, I (almost) always choose music.
Me too (almost) always
Tee hee.
Ok, if I’m to be totally honest, and I have no shame, so I will be… I STILL sing into my hairbrush. I have this nice round brush that is a perfect “microphone,” and I love to stand in the bathroom (great acoustics) singing my heart out… and who cares if I’m 51 years old? Those are some of my best times! My husband acts as though he thinks I’m crazy, but he married me, and he’s stuck with me for more than 31 years now, so I think he’s secretly envious because he doesn’t have the nerve to sing into the hairbrush!
I enjoyed your post… Of course I enjoy a lot of your posts. You’re quite witty.
Thanks! I have a husband who also must live with a crazy person. You know they love it! My husband is just as crazy. We have a lot of fun together. Hope you guys do too!
This sums up America as a car culture. We go there to eat, to make love, to travel, and to blow off steam. Maybe we don’t need our houses at all. We just need to get rid of some of our stuff.
Sorry it took so long to answer you pal. Geez, lots of comments in the old dashboard this morning. We are a car culture, and I love it! We have a huge car show here every summer, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world. One of my favorite events.
Live the dream.
Life is a highway.
I would ride it all night long….if I didn’t have to go to bed at 8. *sigh*
Ha.
B-52s! Still love them. I don’t have a specific location that I go, it’s more of a mental thing. I either plug in the iPod or I meditate, or I read. Or I dive into a pint of ice cream and veg out on the couch. I’ve been doing more of the latter lately.
I do all that stuff. We all need a place or a time to let off steam so we don’t throttle the ones we love, right?
If I am down in the dumps.. I like to drive around too with the music going or I like to clean like a mad woman with my music blasting– tiles and a toothbrush
me too with the tiles and toothbrush. And comet and bleach!!!
high five
yay! it is really meditative
So true, people might think we’re nuts (well, that’s about me, maybe not you) but that’s when I do some of my best thinking. Hi 5 back to you!
nope we are nuts together “)
Yay for nuts! The world needs more nuts!
I have a great story about sealing grout in my tile, and music. Changed my life. No lie. Trying to decide if I want to post it for Romantic Monday. Cleaning and music-is there any other way to get it done?
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