Posh or Prison

 

"You were posh," my friend said. A couple from Denmark living in the UK, my husband and I were at L'Hostalet in Argelès-sur-mer, enjoying a cuppa. We were talking about how lucky we were for all the places we traveled and trips we were thinking of in the future. Between us, we'd been on all continents and I've no idea how many countries.

"We never went anywhere when I was a kid," I said. " We had the country club five minutes away. It had golf and a pool." That prompted my friend's posh remark. It wasn't so much of us being "posh" but my mother not wanting to go over any bridge or through a tunnel.

And although we were free in thought, reading, etc. we were in a prison or a bubble as it is often called today when people are always in the same place with the same type of people. 

We spent a lot of time at the club. When my parents played golf, I might do some putting, read in a corner or play canasta with the daughter of the couple my parents were playing with. We ate meals there and there were lots of parties for my parents. There was also a talent show and family nights with pot luck suppers. My grandmother always sent her scalloped corn.

In the summer we would take one day trip to Wingaersheek beach and one day trip to Bearskin Neck in Rockport, less than an hour away with no bridges nor tunnels. To get to the Neck we'd go through the Lanesville section, where my mother borrowed my middle name to offset the horrible French name of my father.

Motif No. 1 Rockport, MA

  

 One of the many shops on Bearskin Neck.

The Neck had Motif No.1, lots of art galleries and artisan shops. We'd eat lobster and enjoy the smell of the sea. Even my grandmother, who seldom left the house, went.

In many ways my childhood was a prison keeping me from the outside world. We didn't even go into Boston only 12 miles, door to door, with all its museums and history. On the other hand it was a safe world where I was loved even if I wanted to breakout  from those bars to see something beyond. Those somethings were discussed, so I knew they existed

Posh? It depends what you have and what you think other people have. 

Today, I've lived in several countries and traveled to many more. In some of those travels I've been lucky enough to stay in private homes, which gives more of an indication of the culture than just staying in a hotel.

People might think we are "posh" living in Switzerland and the South of France, but both places fit the definition of modest to the 100°degree. The best part is no more prison bars. I'm free to explore the world with the only limitations being time and energy and whatever financial compromises I want to make.