When we’re in trouble we’re said to be “in the doghouse,” banished from our own place of comfort. Dogs, it turns out, are really good at reconciliation, at asking forgiveness and moving back into loving connection. It’s a wonder they stay in doghouses at all.
When you’ve been in the doghouse, what has helped you back into good graces?
Sure, it’s wonderful to be with your closest friends, to have shared adventures or intimate conversations. But there’s something to be said for just hanging out, relaxing in the company of strangers at a coffee shop or in a movie theater.
Where have you enjoyed the company of strangers?
Over time, so much fades away. Treasured belongings break or are lost, friends move away, and even the people who love us most can’t stay with us forever. What remains is the armature, the foundation which all of a life is built on.
What are the foundational truths which your life is built around?
Storks in Europe often build their nests on top of houses and other buildings. Also on fire escapes and over the top of chimneys. Which might not seem like the most comfortable place to build a home, but try telling that to a stork.
Where is an unusual place that you feel at home?
For some people there is nothing better than being snowed in, cozy in their favorite retreat without any possibility of intrusion. For others being snowed in is a nightmare in which they are cut off from contact with everything that brings joy in life.
Are you more of an introvert who finds the comfort of home in private retreat, or an extravert who finds home in the company of others?
