I got to musing about the phrase “Happy as a Clam”. I wondered... why are clams happy? After all they don’t do much, they lie around in the sand and open their shells from time to time and eat. That doesn’t seem like a happy satisfying life to me.
When I posed the question on Facebook, I received comments of “because they’re always smiling” and “because they know when to clam up and just listen”. Keen observations, but I needed more. So then I googled it! And this is what I found on wisegeek.com: As a simile, happy as a clam, when applied to people, means they feel a special safety or security. Things are well in the world and danger is, for the moment, at a safe distance. The clamshell contains the person well, providing safety, and a virtually uncrackable hardness. It just means a state of contentment and a feeling that all is well with the world.
We all need a safe space where we can relax, rejuvenate, or just hide out for awhile. It doesn’t mean we are giving up or that we want to stay there forever, we simply need a break. I think my skin must be my clamshell, because when I need a break I usually find the safest place within myself. Some people have real places to find safety, like a cabin in the woods. I prefer my skin, it’s portable, washable, and travels everywhere with me.
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