My wife died more than 10 years ago. Since then (and even before that), my daughter had a housemaid to help me with my personal needs and as a quick-response, in case my aging body needs emergency help.
In that span of time, I have had three. The last one was so stressful she almost drove me to an early death to cardiac arrest.
Unable to take it any longer, I drove her out of my home.
I was never happier when she left. Yes, that means I had to do all the tasks she was meant to do. But that’s a small price to pay for the stress her presence created – from morning till night.
While she was with me, my days were a never-ending chore of reminding her to do the things she was supposed to do since day one of her employment.
Now, not only am I stress-free, I have a personal space. I like it so much I don’t want another helper ever again. And I am saving a log, too.
But to clear the air, let’s talk about personal space a little bit…
What is personal space
I am sure you have heard this Hollywood over-used phrase of “I need some space,” as a not-so-obvious way of saying “We’re done. I don’t want you around me anymore.”
Merriam-Webster defines it more clearly as “the distance from another person at which one feels comfortable when talking to or being next to that other person.”
In real life, it is harsher. It is to seclude yourself from others. A personal space can be a little corner in your home, garden, or patio. It can be under the shade of an age-old oak tree.
Whatever form it may be, the purpose is the same – to keep away from others and not to be intruded into in any way.
We all need a personal space to take a breather or to chill out. It allows us to develop other interests, or a stronger sense of self and discovering your desires and dreams. A personal space is necessary for making a better assessment of the direction of your life; of cultivating your inert talents and capabilities.
When I am home, my personal space is my room. Twice a week, it is a little quiet nook in a coffee shop. If I want a change in scenery, it is my car for a long drive to nowhere or a secluded beach resort immersed (and enjoying) in my lonesomeness.
Whatever form it is, the routine is the same – endless hours in front of my laptop pursuing my passion for writing. It allows me to give vent to my miseries or rejoice in my blissfulness.
By default, my personal space (wherever it is) extends to my blog.
What My Space is about
The sub-heading of my blog is “Strictly Seniors.” Every article therein is about elderly people issues. Being a member of the tribe, I know what thrills and ails them.
While I have been religious about my desire to spice up the life of my target audience, a certain part of me wants to remain young. You know how it feels, don’t you? We all have that urge, buried deep inside us, to think young and do things young people do.
The feeling has been welling up on me for some time until it cannot be contained any more. It has to be let out.
Hence, My Space was born.
It is a category in my blog featuring articles catering to my younger and footloose self – freelance writing and traveling.
These two fire me up. They make me feel young. My life will be deeply curtailed if I lose my capacity to write or go somewhere, engulfed in the beauty of new places and surroundings; of discovery and adventure.
Sure I could have written articles about the subjects and include them in the mainstream. But they may not resonate with the majority of my readers. Besides, the groups I will promote them to will be entirely different.
My Space, therefore, shall have two sub-categories: Freelance Writing and Travel and Leisure. I have several subjects in the pipeline for the latter but I will be starting from scratch about the former.
I don’t know how it is going to work out. The first tentative steps are always the scariest.
So please be with me. It will be as interesting as a space launch. LOL!
~oOo~
