Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Happy Place

I've heard about people using the 'happy place' technique during stressful event before. However I've never successfully done it. Does that mean I dont have any happy place inside me?

There is, however, a story about a happy place that I want to share.

There is this guy who lives in his happy place, in the middle of Jakarta. He is there in his zone day in day out, come rain or sunshine, for years. He started living there as a runaway kid ages ago. He took his refuge from family trouble on this square piece of a busy Jakarta's sidewalk. Yes, you heard me right, on a sidewalk. Not, a wide and nicely done one like the one at Champs Elysees, but a narrow, bumpy one that is common in this city.

To my understanding, he managed to get a decent job, and later even built his own tiny house for his family. Somehow, each night he prefers to spend it on that same sidewalk.

It's his piece of heaven on earth. Isn't it something?

2 comments:

colson said...

If one feels cornered by people or circumstances, a hide away to relax or escape is a tempting idea. However not always without danger.

Yet an 'urban myth" ( a good one by the way) as a metaphor for mental shelter from dire straits? That sounds/reads really good.

(Granted it is off topic, but by association I happen to think of the late Susan Sontag's "Illness as Methaphor")

triesti said...

I heard about him from an acquaintance who knows someone who met the guy. We were talking about getting that story to media.

If he really is exist, I think he needs to see a shrink:)

Too bad Ive never read Illness as Methaphor.. I think I should... with whatever going on with me:) thanks for the tip.