Saturday, October 24, 2009

Dancing in the Night



renewal |riˈn(y)oōəl| noun
the action of extending the period of validity of a license, subscription, or contract : the contracts came up for renewal | a renewal of his passport. • an instance of resuming an activity or state after an interruption • the replacing or repair of something that is worn out, run-down, or broken

One evening when I was a little girl, like four, I became angry with my family. They were tickling and teasing me and I hated it. Cried. Packed my little pink suitcase and ran away from home.

I rang the doorbell at the neighbor's and the mom came to the door. I told her I was running away and asked if I could stay at her house. I remember her standing there, probably holding back a laugh, and saying that it wasn't a good night for her. She had company. That maybe if I came back the next day, there would be a place for me then.

That rejection only offered one other door to approach, one other home where I would have chosen to reside. Certainly not to the Greenlee house as they had a bunch of boys, and I couldn't cross the street by myself. I walked back past my own house to the Dunfee's on the other side. I knocked and knocked at their back door. No one answered. No one wanted me. I had to go home.

I don't recall what happened after that nor anyone teasing me for having run away. I imagine my humiliation of having to come home offered them an opportunity to let me return in peace. Or so I hope. But with my running away at that age, I set a course for myself. One I've come to depend upon.

Yesterday, I ran away from home. All the years of occasional upset with my husband, or needing to breathe while caught in the mire of raising three kids, or just life itself, an escape plan became necessary. Often a walk around the block sufficed, or a trip to the library, alone. Maybe a visit to the greenhouse to finger the delicacy of a new plant.

Often times I escaped to the safety of my women friends, to the comfort of their kitchens or conversations, sharing our woes or asking unanswerable questions about why life makes us have certain feelings at uncertain times.

I did that Thursday afternoon. After a sluggish swim at the YMCA, I gave up on attaining my normal mile and quit at 3/4 mile. While making phone calls to several friends to meet at the bar in 45 minutes, I knew that wasn't what I should be doing. That I had projects going at home that required my attention. But I simply did not want to do them. So I ran away to the bar to join four friends who all in a small window of notice, showed up for the companionship also.

I am most grateful for those women, but there is something in me when I get in these moods that also requires solitude.

Yesterday afternoon I ran away to my cabin at the lake -- a much appreciated haven for this soul of mine. A settling place for my wits, a privacy I seem to require every now and then. Should I have been at home to cover what was needed there in terms of motherhood and wifedom? Absolutely. But I wasn't.

Last night, I sat in my blue chair, cranked my Ipod as high as I wanted. I stared out the window at the lake, a few lights across lighting the water's edge. With a glass of wine, I sang out loud to my heart's content. Brown Sugar, The Freaker's Ball, Songbird, Dream a Little Dream of Me, Brand New Day, Field of Opportunity, Shining Star, Green River, Hernando's Hideaway, The Trouble with Love is, Revolution, Amie, The House is Rockin', Give up the Funk, I Wish, Highway to Hell, Voodoo Cadilac, Twist and Shout, Freeway of Love .... and on and on. Name that tune. I sang it last night.

I finished the evening seated in my chair with eyes closed. In my mind's eye, I wore the white satin ballerina outfit I wore when I was 12, complete with the flowing net of a long tutu , the music of Frederic Chopin's Les Syphides filling the cabin. This ballet has no plot - only the mystical movement of white clad dancers floating in the moonlight, just like me. Sleep arrived.

Never would I do that with others in the house. But, now I'm sung out, danced out. Need to pack my stuff and head home as soon as I finish this rambling post. We will gather as a family (less the Arizona boy) tonight to celebrate my oldest son's birthday. I will attend, truly happy to be with all of them. For the time I've spent alone has proffered the privacy I required. I've become accustomed to gathering it as quickly as I can.

This morning I made a new list in my journal of things I need to do, goals I need to set -- become more organized, better read and more rested. I have a plan. That's what running away does for me. I am thankful not only for those friends and the cabin which offers the solace, but for the night.

43 comments:

  1. We all run away now and then, in need of something or other. Mostly, we find our way back, missing what we felt behind. The ugly truth is that to live alone may be bliss; but we need company; we need to feel missed.

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  2. Julie, we are very much alike in our need for that periodic solitude - I crave it almost too much. I'm not a total hermit, but have to depend on my family to keep me from going that route. I'm very envious of you for those friends that met you on a moment's notice, but I've told you that before.

    I love the vision of you, in my mind's eye, singing and dancing around the cabin! What a wonderful way to lift the spirits and clear away the mental cobwebs! I've been working on a similar list, though I had hoped that once I was in my 60s I would n't have to do that anymore.

    I hope the benefits of your brief running away from home are long lasting. And let the rest of us know how the items on your list come to fruition.

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  3. I, too, need some solitude and quiet time every day. If I don't get it I feel very restless and stressed. I don't often get away for long periods of time by myself, but I do get plenty of time with my girlfriends. It is essential for my mental health. Glad you found your solitude and a renewed sense of energy.

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  4. Singing all those songs out loud sounds wonderful! I do get alone time but I am envious of your having women friends nearby who can meet up with you. I'm so glad that you had some time to give yourself what you needed.
    And happy birthday to oldest!

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  5. Beautiful post, Julie.

    I feel the same way that you do, so many times. I literally have no where to run, nor do I have girlfriends to get together with, so I think that I turn my feelings inward, and sleep. I envy you for having somewhere to go to have some solitude. The ipod and singing is a great way to self-medicate. I can and have done that, alone in my bedroom. :)

    You had asked if I had done a review of Driving With Dead People, and I have. You can find it here:

    http://missysbooknook.blogspot.com/2009/10/book-review-driving-with-dead-people-by.html

    Enjoy the rest of your weekend

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  6. I think the hardest part of living on an island is my lack of space for running away. Some days I long to hit the road, drive for hours, spend the night in someplace far away with some solitude, and come back ready for the onslaught of noise and busy that is a family.

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  7. I envy your time alone and your cabin...best I can do these days in my shower:)

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  8. Thanks for sharing your courageous post. I hope you are refreshed after your detour.

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  9. What a great post! My gosh, how could we have known we would run away again, over and over in big and small ways as life overwhelmed and disapponted us, if only for a short time, we would rush for refreshing and quiet...

    I love that girlfriends can be a shelter.

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  10. Your running away adventures sound wonderful. It takes courage to run away for these moments away wheather it be with friends that understand us or if it's to be alone to sing to your hearts content, to think and to write. It's good to run away for these moments...to fill up so that we can keep on giving. All of us need to this and probally more often then we do. Happy that you took this time for yourself! XXOO

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  11. Oh Julie, I can relate to this post very well....I, too would meet up with my women friends for a drink and a laugh, I also would take a spa day at a lovely hotel and would stay all night just for some alone time, I have been known to sing to the top of my lungs (I can't carry a tune) and I have loved every moment of it. My late husband would encourage these Me times, or as I use to say, am taking a "me day" and I think it is important to always keep woomen friends in your life....they add to it and then it's important to go home to your family who will always love and be there for you....Loved this post. Hugs

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  12. I think everyone needs a little "me time" where you can block out the rest of the world. I hope you're feeling more the thing now. *hugs*

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  13. The sanctuary of solitude is a precious thing, frequently necessary to rejuvenate ourselves. Loved this post.

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  14. Arent we all need that precious 'me time'?? Your run away story was so cute :))

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  15. I ran away on Friday too. But your escape sounds much more soul-soothing than mine. Hugs, SMB

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  16. Oh boy, do I ever know that feeling....I'm having it now.....

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  17. In my twenties and thirties I did a lot of running away. I was miserable often it seemed. Now I'm too old to run, plus my feet hurt so it's harder to run... LOL

    And I don't own a cabin either... LMAO

    BUT, I'm having a giveaway of a pretty scarf that you may want to try to win so you can pack it in that little pink suitcase the next time you leave home...

    DI
    The Blue Ridge Gal
    (solitude.... I have found it)

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  18. Thanks for sharing your inner thoughts and feelings. I have to tell you that I can relate and that's why traveling away is so important for me. I get fed up doing my old routine over and over, despite having many friends. I do think my volunteering in Belize, and being away from my own kids and husband, just for me and to help others, is a much needed experience that I want to continue in the future.

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  19. I don't know if my comment went thru, my lovely...if it didn't here it is again:

    Oh, I know this feeling and have it now from time to time....if I was closer I'd send you my number to add me to your buddies list :)

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  20. Oh yes - I think we all have our own methods of running away. However, having lived alone when I was widowed, I find that my quickest antidote is to ask myself whether I would still rather be alone - and the answer is always no - I love my new life. But i do agree that sometimes one has to be able to move out either physically or just mentally and recharge ones batteries.

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  21. Every soul needs solitude.

    Sometimes.

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  22. I ,too, ran away when I was a little girl, except the neighbor's Mom let me stay over, after talking to my Mom. I still love to retreat to my getaway when I feel the need for solitude. Sometimes a change of scenery is all that's needed.

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  23. I'm so proud of you for taking care of yourself. You might have run away from the day to day, but you ran straight into your own self. I think that's why solitude is so important. It's where things finally get quiet enough for us to hear the quiet voice of our soul.

    I love the picture of you and your pink suitcase at four, and would like to hear your mom's version of the event.

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  24. I love to run away. When I drive to OH for a visit, I love my road time, all to myself. And my hotel time in the evening, again, all to myself.

    I have the luxury of time to myself every evening as my husband works 2nd shift. It works for us. Quite well. And this month he has been in WA state for the whole month -- it will be nice to have him back home, but my time alone has been well spent.

    The cabin sounds heavenly, to spend a night there by yourself, doing whatever you please. Sitting in that chair looking at the lights across the lake.... sigh, so relaxing!

    I just read Amy's posts on Bryce Canyon (http://heliotropesandsilver.blogspot.com/), and I'm dying to jump in the car and head that way right now!!

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  25. Apparently, I run away every night -- I am a complete hermit, and have no family to stop me from it! On the flip side, I think I was the only kid who didn't try to run away! I may have thought about it, but after I figured out the logistics of the situation, I concluded I wouldn't have gotten far. I was an odd kid.

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  26. I guess my "running away" is my lone walks in the woods and creek bed...sometimes lasting for hours, it's very spiritual for me...I have me time every morning before dawn also...in my "quiet room"...plus when I'm seriously cleaning the house, I play my favorite songs as loud as I feel! It energizes me! Once a month I get together for lunch with old friends from grade school, there's 10 of us, it keeps us connected to ou youth and each other!

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  27. Love your blog just wanted to let you know.
    I think there is a part of that child left in all of us I always ran away even as an adult I always moved on when thing were unbearable I think now I am settled ... well I have run out of places to go LOL

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  28. Sounds like you took a much needed soul-feeding break. Writers, and creative types, need those. Need.

    I can't get the image of you standing on the doorstep with your little pink suitcase out of mind. I love that you didn't cave in on yourself; you went out and looked for what you needed, then. And you took your adult suitcase and your self to your cabin, now. And made some beautiful music.

    Left a reply for you back at the spa...

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  29. I run away on occasion - less now that my girls are gone. But sometimes we just need to connect with ourselves, not our roles. Great post. I could relate.

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  30. I love this. We all need to run away now and again.
    A while back I wrote about running away to the library, after learning that my mother used to do the same thing when she couldn't stand one more minute in a house with 4 kids.

    (I don't normally post links, but here it is if you want to read it
    http://lifeaiknowit.blogspot.com/2008/02/in-search-of-peace-and-quiet.html

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  31. We all need space to find calm and clear direction again. Glad it worked for you!

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  32. Everyone needs to get away from time to time and this probably did you the power of good!

    Nuts in May

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  33. Aw, I hate to think that you were in a state where you felt you needed to run away. Although, I know we all go there sometimes. I'm glad you know how to take care of yourself when these times surface however. Thank heavens for that lake house of yours! What a great retreat! (But call ME when you're blue.)

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  34. Resting definitely gives you a chance to recharge and to decide what is important!!! I need a rest too!!

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  35. Well, ya know, I say when a girl's gotta run away and dance and sing, then that's what a girl's gotta do. Ya gotta get it out. I run away myself -- frequently -- usually to my bedroom, but it's much better when you can escape a little farther and completely let go, sometimes with special friends. Remember me next time too, eh?

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  36. There is nothing that replenishes my soul more than a bit of solitude. At this busy 'intersection' of my life those moments are few and far between, all the more precious to me because of that reason. I had one this past Saturday and it was like the Balm of Gilead. I have never understood people who need to be constantly surrounded by others, who crave attention and need to be entertained or connected every minute of the day. I definitely am one who truly believes in "Be still my soul". I'm glad you were able to find such a wonderful window of time to yourself. It's amazing how it refreshes us and helps us go back and face a new day.

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  37. I adore the honesty here--and, even more, I adore that you have the courage to stake your own ground. At one point in this post, you ask if you should have been home wifing and mothering and then answer yourself with an "Absolutely." I'd argue with that. If you're not feeling all good inside yourself, you can't be a good wife or mother, so being away was the best wifing and mothering you could have done this week.

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  38. I have wanted to run away lately...a need to put on my running shoes, or any shoes, that will take me away from the everyday needs of those around me...who I love dearly, dearly! But, a wee bit of my own self needs to be recovered. Lovely post, love the visuals.

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  39. Yes. I understand that longing, and that need. Some people have cabins, some retreat to chairs, some walk for hours to "settle the wits." To put aside our roles, our selves, and just....be.
    I am glad you were able to do that.

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  40. What a wonderful way you draw me in with your childhood story...this is riveting...and I empathize...and find myself nodding throughout...we all need time to regroup...and you have described that need perfectly!!! This is an unforgettable read!!! I'll carry it with me for a very, very long time...your words echoing in my heart!! Have a lovely journey home! ~Janine XO

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  41. I so envy your cabin getaway. Sigh....

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