A Thinking Place

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In the movie, Song of the South, Brer Rabbit has a laughing place. I don't remember much of the movie, but I do remember a part where Brer Fox and Brer Bear had Brer Rabbit tied up, ready to
roast, and Brer Rabbit starts laughing.

Brer Bear asks, "Why you laughin?"

"I's thinkin' about my laughin' place!" replies Brer Rabbit.

Brer Bear wants to see this laughin' place, but Brer Rabbit asks, "How can I show you where it is when I'm all tied up?"

Although Brer Fox is sure it is a trick, they allow Brer Rabbit to lead them to his laughing place, which happens to be a clump of bushes containing a bee hive. When a sore Brer Bear complains that he isn't laughing, Brer Rabbit replies, "I didn't say it was YOUR laughing place; I said it was MY laughing place!" Brer Bear and Brer Fox get into a fight with the bees, and Brer Rabbit manages to escape, laughing.

I thought about this story this morning, while I was in my thinking place.

It is summertime, and the kids are out of school. They spend their time in the family room playing with LEGOs, watching episodes of Studio C, or playing games on the computer. Frequently they are roughhousing or arguing. We go to the pool fairly often, and go to the library at least once a week. Hannah is often in the kitchen making cookies or fudge or bread. Steven is frequently at home as well, unless he is at a job interview or working at a local "rent to own" shop. When he is home, he is usually in our bedroom searching for jobs online on his laptop, or else napping or doing cryptic crossword puzzles.

My point is, that the house is a busy place during the summer, and it is hard for me to find a place to think, to really concentrate or meditate or ponder. Even when I'm on the computer trying to come up with a blog to write, I frequently have someone looking over my shoulder reading as I type, which can make it hard for me to concentrate. [Person looking over my shoulder feels guilty and stomps away... and I feel guilty for writing it, but not guilty enough to erase it... because it is true.]

I do have a thinking place though. It is one place where I can go, behind locked doors where no one can follow me, and I can pretend I can't hear anything from the outside world. I can't stay there for very long (15-20 minutes max), but the time I do spend there is my best thinking time of the day. I can think of dreams I had earlier that morning. I can think of blogs I want to write. I can think of ideas for lessons I will teach. I can think of things I need to do. Unfortunately, if I don't get out of my thinking place and write these things down quickly, they seem to get forgotten in the hubbub of the day. Where is my thinking place? The shower.

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