IT'S NOT EASY BEING A SOUTHERN BELLE-EVEN AFTER YEARS OF PRACTICE!













Monday, February 18, 2008

WHERE DO YOU HIDE?

Camille made a comment on my blog yesterday about hiding in the bathroom that set me to thinking (they hate to hear around here that I have been thinking). As a child my older brother, Robbie, tormented me and delighted in me being frightened. At a very early age, I learned to never show the fear-or invite more torment. What he didn't realize was that all the middle of the night scaring, jumping out of closets and frightening, etc. etc. had made me terrified of the dark. Momma was not sympathetic and I was not allowed out of my bedroom and told to hush. Robbie and brother Noel were in a bedroom together, so they had someone to protect them, but the only girl-was in the bedroom ALONE. My solution was to hide my head under the covers with only the tip of my nose sticking out. I convinced myself that no one would know I was there and I was alright as long as my entire body was under the covers. So I spent my childhood sleeping entirely under the covers-but hidden from all of the dark evil of the night.

Momma was a firm believer in child labor and it was difficult to escape the broad scope of her gaze. An idle child was in danger of a long list of chores and no play time. The only way to escape the daily list of Momma's jobs was to hide and when you hide-you had best be FAR away from the house. I spent large chunks of my childhood roaming through the pine forests that surrounded our home. An active imagination was my favorite playmate as I trooped through shaded paths of pine needles and leaves. I could spend hours hidden in the deep pine groves away from the list of chores and Momma's critical eye.

As a student in school and college, I learned to hide on the back row of those classes that I detested. I preferred the front row of those classes that I loved, but the History, Social Study, Economics, and other classes that I hated-I hid. You try to find the biggest student in the class and sit right behind them-squeezing yourself into as small of a space as possible and for sure with your face and eyes well hidden. For some strange reason you felt if you didn't make eye contact, you were out of sight and out of mind of those teachers and professors of those dreaded classes.

As an adult I take a more subtle approach, but basically the same approach. I hide from house work by going out into the yard and pretend busy. To hide from things that make me uncomfortable, I become busy with preferred activities. To hide from large mind boggling, misery inducing social functions, I refuse to go-declaring life to short for doing what you don't want to do. To hide from confrontation, I withdraw. You get the drift!

We all have times we want to hide. WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO HIDE? I am interested in what you hide from and where you like to hide. Maybe I will get some new ideas of great places to become invisible!

5 comments:

Obsessive Foodie or Food Addict....You Decide said...

Behind sunglasses.........HUGE BLACK JACKIE-O, BUT SQUARE SUNGLASSES. I LOVE THEM. They hide the whole upper half of my head and I don't have to speak to anyone because they can't see me. I am not a friendly person by nature and do not want to chit chat in the store etc. I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS have on sunglasses.....even when it is gloomy out. They make me VERY HAPPY!!!!.........eeeeeck I probably sound like a putz but that is me. I will socialize at an event but the rest of the time....leave me alone, I am busy and in a hurry when I am out. Boy I sound terrible. I can be nice, really, I can be. I just plain don't like to be bothered.......I like socialization on MY OWN TERMS, not anyone else's. eeeeck, now I sound even worse. Where did I put those sunglasses???

Deb said...

I like to hide in the bath tub with a book or a magazine like Reader's Digest. I also like to hide on the net....surfing around answering all the strange questions that pop into my head. I am always wondering something and hunting for answers. Sometimes I hide in coffee shops...I like Mylo's. When I was in high school I hid in the library or in my room with head phones on. I used to put headphones on and walk the track. I think I was hiding there, too.

Ann Miller said...

I love to hide in the bathtub!! If I hear the kids screaming, I turn on the hot water, so I have an excuse not to hear them! Sad, but true!

Anonymous said...

I like to hide in a good book. Those that take you to another time and sometimes into fantasy. There are days when it is raining a good movie will suffice. Escape from the real world and let your mind take you to another time in history. On the other hand I like to socalize-love people and I do not think I have ever met a stranger. Helen

Anonymous said...

I tried hiding in the bath tub, but my family will just come in and chat! So I put on my NY Yankee cap, pull it down low, put on some sunglasses and take a run. (hoping no one will know it's me running--yeah right) So, I got a motorcycle with a full faced helmet--secret's out--small town. No rest for the weary.