I often wonder just how many rough men Tolkien helped survive to adulthood! This post took me back deeply and fondly to my escapes as a child. We bounced from fairly large city areas in S. Florida (where my dad is from) and extremely rural S. Georgia (where my mom was from).
Each had a unique escape for me that were so very different, yet equally formative to who I am today. In Georgia, I had the swamps and woods and I had such immense freedom to explore and build and create. Learning to catch and cook your own fish and small game taught me that regardless of who let me down and abused me, I could always make my way alone if needed. S. Florida had the beach and the wonderful, sublime juxtaposition of being so close to people on shore yet completely alone beyond the breakers floating in peace. There were also many abandoned commercial buildings where a boy and his skateboard was free to rule without interference from authority. This taught me the power and importance of creativity.
Man, this post made my weekend! Thank you so much for sharing!
I think we all had a place we felt better and sometimes it was in our heads at other times a physical place.
Those formative years are so important to us yet we don't know it...Now I can look back and see the value and how the difficulties helped shape me. There were more to come of course, different ones, harder ones, but we work through them huh?
Thanks for reading and sharing a little of your own past. You're a good chap.
From time to time I wonder if knowing how important those experiences were to me being who I am would have made them more bearable at the time, but I'm not sure I would have learned as much possessing that knowledge. Sometimes trials, tribulations, and despair are the steroids of character!
You're not so bad yourself! lol
Adversity is a great teacher. Of course, it takes the right person and attitude to make it so.