I recently read an article by a man who went to the city to make his fortune. He succeeded, but never forgot where he came from. He was telling about his many trips to southern Louisiana where he grew up and how the tension of the city began flowing out of him as soon as he saw the cypress trees.

Going home is like that. But as I grew up, we moved a lot and I'm never sure exactly where "home" is.

There are still places that have always relieved tension over the years. Sometimes it was as close as the lake that I could see from the front door of the school where I taught. I would go home and hitch up the boat and go spend a couple of hours on the lake. Sometimes I would fish, but more often I would just ride in and out of quiet coves.

Other times the relaxing places were a little further away. A trip to the Smokies usually worked. I always tried for a time of the week when the National Park would not be crowded.

My wife's parents lived on a farm. That was always a relaxing place for me. It had a rocky hill, some open fields and a creek. About the time they quit farming and moved to town, our daughter bought a farm near the mountains, and now I can go there.

Later in life, I discovered Hawaii. I like Waikiki, but for relaxation, I go to Kauai or the Big Island, or sometimes the quiet side of Oahu. Maui has some quiet places if you know where to look. I've been to Hawaii 12 times.

People who have an old home town, or some place to go and kick back from time to time are better able to withstand the stress of school, job, the big city, or any other rat race.
Howard