It is a beautiful, mild and starry night in the capital city as I get to spend some time with my darling mother. After a delicious dinner and an after-dinner walk, my dearest mother is letting me borrow her computer so that I can treat you my dear readers with another entry. This one I`ve decided should be about the location in which my soul feels most at home; meaning the center of MY universe. I`ll admit from the get go that I feel at home in my actual home in nothern Ontario, and I know that most of my universe is there, composed of all my family, friends, past schools and work places. But in every universe, there`s always an astronaut who`s aspiring to reach beyond what he knows and I have found mine on the beautiful Manitoulin Island.
This small paradise is found in Lake Huron with its dense forest, small farms and a great abundance of different cultures. My family and I rent a quaint little cottage just on the edge of the lake and because of our great location in ---, we`re able to experience various recreational activities. We play golf, go fishing and swimming; we take bike rides and go for hikes on the Cup and Saucer trails; we`ve taken out our kayaks and found a quiet coffee shop that`s perfect for a pit stop during our morning walks. --- is also home to independent boutiques, restaurants and dinners as well as craft stores and my personnal favorite: a book store. I keep replacing the name of the specific town with a triple dash simply because it is MY soulful paradise (Ì`m not trying to be mean and it`s not that I don`t trust you guys it`s just one little treasure I`d like to hoard for myself; no hard feelings). Though I haven`t mentionned the specific name, I can assure you that the entire island has this kind of charm to it, and I do recommend that you take the time to visit, or even camp out for a night or two because this haven is definately worth stopping for.
Now I`ve told you the touristic appeal to it, and what there is to do, but I haven`t unveiled why my soul feels at home on this island. I discovered this feeling by a pure and simple fluke and there are three components that assures my soul that this is where it belongs, and that this is the place where it shall return once my body has had its time here on earth. The first thing is that there is a cute little catholic/native Church about fifteen minutes from --- and not only the architechture of the building calls my attention and soul, but the added customs and rituals to the actual mass demands my alertness. The Church is built in a circular form, and it is built into the ground so that it looks like large steps outline the whole of it, and they are used for seats. When I say the customs or rituals intrigue me, the parishioners sing native songs in English as well as in their own native tongues. Another alluring aspect is that they do what they call a ``smudge``, and it is where an elder burns incense and the parishioners wave the smoke over their heads, their hearts and their bodies; it`s a symbol of the cleansing of the mind, heart and body. I am not a very religious person, though I have a very strong faith, but there`s just something about this Church that makes want to go and participate every single time that I`m in the area. The second aspect that tells me I`m home is found in the joy of an old swing set. Near the cottage that we rent every summer, there`s an old wooden play structure with two swings, a slide and a teeter-totter. Every morning, I go on the swing to the far left and listen to my music anywhere from half and hour, to a full hour, and I lose myself in my thoughts and it is also the place where I`ve thought up the plot for many of my stories. I might go to the swing once, twice, and sometimes possibly three times a day (I`ve never felt more care free in my life than on that swing set). And the last little component to this hat trick of soul easement is with an old dock that harbor`s the cottages`boats. It is there, at every evening that I sit on a lawn chair, and watch the sun disappear behind the mountains. I never miss a Sunset, and it is always bitter sweet to leave it, but the only thing that makes it easier is the knowledge that we`ll be returning to it the following year.
So with that long explanation said, I hope I`ve peaked your interest on this, but I also hope that I haven`t flooded my own paradise with curious tourists either (I`m sort of kidding with you guys about that last statement) because though I enjoy my paradise, I know that you`ve already started to think about what is your own. Feel free to let me know, because I might have been there, or else I might like to go visit, unless you don`t want too many tourists either. With that said dearest readers, enjoy the stars, or whatever the weather might be where you are, and until the next entry!
K.P.H.
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