Change of Place

When meanings are conflicted, the soul is stifled.

I need a change of place. Sitting at the pool has helped, but it's not quite the answer. I want to think alone in the midst of people. I want to go from here to there and back again. I want a change of place.

Place is so much more than location or geography. Places gain meaning as we live in them. The mountain house means relaxation. The point patio means concentration. The Starbucks dining room means focused reflection. The train means thinking and writing. My campus office means human and institutional context. I am realizing now that the living room had meant evening relaxation but now has the conflicting meaning brought by remote work.

I need the modulation of tone that comes with a change of place. If hotels were open, I do a solitude retreat. If shopping centers were open, I'd sit at the blurp fountain, feeling the sun warm my skin as random thoughts flowed. If campus were open, I'd sit at my window and work.

I need a change of place.