Inspired by the Illustration Friday word "grounded"As one of four noisy, energetic and - above all - inquisitive children (I'll admit the word "hooligan" has been used to describe one or more of us at times with some accuracy) one of the things I longed for most was somewhere I would not be disturbed.
In the summer, even a call of nature did not necessarily mean a period of solitude, as the outhouses up in the country were two-seaters, and "take your sister with you" was a phrase we all had to live with - and learned to sidestep with some skill as we got older.
I used to watch squirrels and groundhogs with some envy - to my eye, they could just wander off, dig for a while, and voila - a new house. All the peace and quiet they could want.
These days I've learned to enjoy, even gather the noise around me. Solitude comes of its own accord.
