What’s your Peace?

Fishing down at the coast when I don't have to play "guide" for everyone that tags along. Just the sound of the water, the isolation, and a tight line. BTW if yall have never seen the coast during the winter it is a must trip. No dang tourists. Its a different place.

2nd would be a walk in the woods... getting lost in free thought and nature.

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I don’t get to do this often but I feel closer to God when I’m sitting at the base of a big waterfall than I do in a church. Something about feeling the ground constantly resonate with the timeless power of moving water takes me away from now.
 
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Oregon Inlet, right across from the Bodie Island lighthouse. Before sun up. Pouring a hot cup of coffee in the dark. Hearing the sounds of the marsh. The splash of decoys being tossed into the water. Anticipating whether the birds will fly, or not. Peeling back the plastic bag in a seven eleven cinnamon roll. Just enjoying the simplicity.

And oddly, my gym at work. I like to go in the early afternoons when there are fewer people. Sometimes I’m alone. I’ll get on the elliptical machine and go for 80 minutes, or some days I’ll run a couple miles on the treadmill and then do a set round of free weights. It is relaxing, afterwards, when I go back to my desk, mind refocused after the exertion, muscled and kings warm and tingly with an ever present sense of soreness.


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Several come to mind, fishing, driving the tractor or combine on the farm as long as everything is playing nice that day and last but not least trail riding with four wheelers. Seeing my oldest son (4) eat up the tractors and cows to come home to the house and pretend he is doing the same things with his toys knowing I did the same at that age.
 
Cooking... Dreaming up new recipes and watching the family/friends enjoy them (or hate them, no one is perfect)

Camping, hiking, fishing, biking... Outside in the open is my sanctuary.

Sitting on the beach... Watching/listening to the surf and the sea birds.

My piano... Once upon a time I would play for hours and not realize time had passed. Kids and life in general got in the way. I look forward to being there again before my hands stop working.
 
Working. Continuous, into the 7th hour without a break and ready for 4 or 5 more, absolutely killing it with 100% precision with 100% efficiency, working. I can't do physical labor like that anymore, but I can damn sure still do it with my hands, eyes, ears, and mind.

When I was processing toxicology data, I would essentially analyze "batches" of 96 patient samples for 56 different compounds each. The average for the most productive lab employees was 5 to 6, while mine was in the low 30s. When I start doing something with such perfect, beautiful automation, that every part of me is doing a task that looks down right robotic, my mind enters some zen state where I can entertain all sorts of thoughts outside of what I am doing, outside of being me, like having a binary brain. I crash hard at the end, and I'm unbearable until the weekend, but I love that feeling. Whether it is polishing metal, shaping acrylic, looking at numbers, taking things apart, walking up hills, finding things in the woods, as long as I can do it with zero to minimal interaction and disruption, I'm perfect.

Sadly, the modern workplace really just isn't set up for this type of work; too many distractions, too much interference, etc. c'est la vie.


That said, it's always been quiet, the woods, solitude, and birding. I've tried all sorts of art; music for years, sculpture, so forth, and their lack of objectivity proves to be pretty stressful for the most part, but those stresses are punctured with some of the greatest highs I've felt.

Oh, and scalding hot outdoor showers.
 
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When I was in high school, walking through the woods with about six inches of crunchy snow on the ground, after dark (but there was an overall luminescence because of the snow), and the only sound was the hiss of the snowflakes falling through the pine trees. That is the most peaceful scene I can remember.
 
Sittng by the fire up at the cabin or at my corner spot on the covered porch if it's raining. Or standing on the boat early in the morning waitng for a fish to strike. Probably have done more of the fishing thing over the years, but both work.
 
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I have six young kids. I love them all very much. But between my family, work, and grad school, I rarely have time to myself.

Right now I love Saturday mornings, when I don't work out, I get up and the kids are asleep and my wife has gone to the grocery store and I have the house to myself. Cup of coffee, no TV. Actually it's going on right this very second.

When I was younger and on the west coast in the Navy long runs on the beach at Coronado or long runs in the mountains of Camp Pendleton.
 
Pack72 said:
When I was in high school, walking through the woods with about six inches of crunchy snow on the ground, after dark (but there was an overall luminescence because of the snow), and the only sound was the hiss of the snowflakes falling through the pine trees. That is the most peaceful scene I can remember.
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I could picture this in my mind as you were describing it. So peaceful.
 
Burt Gummer said:
Kayak fishing
Taking pics
Hanging out with Bella





Throwing up in your yard was almost number 3
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Lmao! I almost missed the small print! I figured fishing would be yours, but did not figure the other two. You take some amazing pics, though, so I guess i’m not surprised.
 
premise said:
Working. Continuous, into the 7th hour without a break and ready for 4 or 5 more, absolutely killing it with 100% precision with 100% efficiency, working. I can't do physical labor like that anymore, but I can damn sure still do it with my hands, eyes, ears, and mind.

When I was processing toxicology data, I would essentially analyze "batches" of 96 patient samples for 56 different compounds each. The average for the most productive lab employees was 5 to 6, while mine was in the low 30s. When I start doing something with such perfect, beautiful automation, that every part of me is doing a task that looks down right robotic, my mind enters some zen state where I can entertain all sorts of thoughts outside of what I am doing, outside of being me, like having a binary brain. I crash hard at the end, and I'm unbearable until the weekend, but I love that feeling. Whether it is polishing metal, shaping acrylic, looking at numbers, taking things apart, walking up hills, finding things in the woods, as long as I can do it with zero to minimal interaction and disruption, I'm perfect.

Sadly, the modern workplace really just isn't set up for this type of work; too many distractions, too much interference, etc. c'est la vie.


That said, it's always been quiet, the woods, solitude, and birding. I've tried all sorts of art; music for years, sculpture, so forth, and their lack of objectivity proves to be pretty stressful for the most part, but those stresses are punctured with some of the greatest highs I've felt.

Oh, and scalding hot outdoor showers.
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Getting lost in the automaticity of work is one that I would not have thought of. Interesting.
 
imageserve.jpeg This.

Grandkids on a Saturday morning after a sleepover with Av and Ami.

They came to bed and slept with Ami last night. I laid down with them and told them long ridiculous stories about talking frogs and Baboons and Leopards named Theodosius and Alphonso.

Then we all prayed (or I prayed and they listened!) and went to sleep.

Not much better than this.
 
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B00ger said:
Oregon Inlet, right across from the Bodie Island lighthouse. Before sun up. Pouring a hot cup of coffee in the dark. Hearing the sounds of the marsh. The splash of decoys being tossed into the water. Anticipating whether the birds will fly, or not. Peeling back the plastic bag in a seven eleven cinnamon roll. Just enjoying the simplicity.
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Sounds spectacular. Not sure I have ever found the gym to be particularly relaxing but can identify with that refocused feeling afterward.
 
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tanstaafl72555 said:
View attachment 89181 This.

Grandkids on a Saturday morning after a sleepover with Av and Ami.

They came to bed and slept with Ami last night. I laid down with them and told them long ridiculous stories about talking frogs and Baboons and Leopards named Theodosius and Alphonso.

Then we all prayed (or I prayed and they listened!) and went to sleep.

Not much better than this.
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Nice. Sounds perfect.
 
fieldgrade said:
A range I go to during the week. I am usually the only one there when I go.
And driving to matches on Saturdays in the dark and watching the sun come up on the way there.

The view at H20 from the john.

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I used to go to the range in Alamance county and just sit out there with no one else around. I get it.
 
BASIL said:
Most of mine are just memories now.
But one of the best was a full moon no light, solo night dive in Bonaire.
Or diving in general.
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I did so much diving and shooting in the military it took me a long time to do it recreationally for fun when I got out. But yes, I can see a beautiful night dive with clear water and a bright moon to be utterly peaceful and relaxing.
 
When I was a kid, I hitchiked all over central and South America. I thumbed down from Colombia to Peru. I remember riding in the back of a flat bed trailer piled with cement bags. I hollowed out a small indentation and laid my bag in, and went to sleep. I awoke rolling through the swirling mists of the Andes, curving in and out of mountains, cool air over me, sun just coming up, green forests stretching into snowcaps above me, utterly at peace, wishing that moment could last forever, and then remembering "it will last forever........... you just have to get out of the grey shadowlands." Interesting how that time imprinted itself on my memories to this day.
 
On my motorcycle, radio playing, no particular destination, take off in a general compass direction, staying off interstates and highways as much as possible. When I come to an intersection might turn left, right or go straight. Just see where I end up, then look for a hole in the wall eating joint. Fill up the stomach with some good food and sweet tea then take off towards home, that is my favorite. However, popping in my earbuds and jumping on a tractor or lawnmower is a very close second.
 
I'd have to say that floating down the side of a mountain in the silence that a couple of feet of fresh powder makes is my most peaceful activity. Of course, lots of times it's not totally silent because I like to listen to music while skiing too.
 
Small stream fly fishing for wild trout.

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Even if they are only this big.


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And hiking. 1/3 of the way through a 12 mile day hike with my daughter.


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Her on rough ridge trail.


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Cowboy said:
I enjoy my job. It's not like I ever work but go have fun about 85% of the time. Hopefully that perception doesn't drop drastically until I'll be retiring.
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I love my job, It is 90% BS, the last 10% is alot of stress, alot of Oh Shit moments, you'll laugh, cry, fight, and be amazed with both the good and bad in people. You see things people shouldn't see, you'll help some folks, some will die in your arms.
My peace is a nice decompressing ride on one of my motorcycles, a hundred miles in the country is good for your soul. My second way to find peace is my dog, she has been my constant companion for 6yrs, best listener I know.
 
I have a few. One of course is being with my family no matter what we're doing. Taking my son all over the country to airshows when he was younger. We still go but he's 18 now and has a girlfriend so that has slowed down a bit.

Going to the range by myself, or with my son, wife, and/or friends.

Riding my motorcycle out in the country as @phideux mentioned above is another one.

One place where I really feel at peace is going down to Bald Head Island in late winter or early spring when the mid-day temp down there is "shorts and a sweatshirt". Sit out on East or South Beach with a cooler of beer and look both directions, miles up and down the beach and not see a single person and only hear the surf. That is very peaceful.
 
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Still looking. Used to have a couple places to hunt, they're gone. Used to have places to fish ponds and the river, they're gone. Grandson has his buds now, as it should be. Enjoy taking a day off in the middle of the week and heading to PHA when there's not many people there. Enjoy the beach when I can get there.

With opportunity to retire in 8 months, 30 days and a wake up I'm hoping that things will ease up and I can enjoy life doing what I like to do as finances allow.
 
tanstaafl72555 said:
View attachment 89181 This.

Grandkids on a Saturday morning after a sleepover with Av and Ami.

They came to bed and slept with Ami last night. I laid down with them and told them long ridiculous stories about talking frogs and Baboons and Leopards named Theodosius and Alphonso.

Then we all prayed (or I prayed and they listened!) and went to sleep.

Not much better than this.
Click to expand...

From that picture it looks like that boy is peeing on the couch! :p
 
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