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originally published
here
Every morning I wake up in a corner. In that corner, which I have deemed safest, lies my bed upon which I can slumber without fear of surprise. It offers me solace from the troubles of the day, that the world may care to throw at me. The silken bamboo sheets stay perpetually cool serving not only as a respite from the heat but also reminding me that I can stay cool regardless of my circumstances.
But that's not all. It's also my vantage point from which I shall survey my kingdom. That vast expanse of space over which I rule.
I can see as far as the relaxing recliner on the corner which is caressed by the light from beyond. The faux leather reminds me of my resolve to not kill unless it is for survival. Values though heroic, are easily forgotten in the heat of the moment and the boredom of routine. Such tactile reminders quite literally get under my skin to ensure I do not forget.
And if I were to shift my gaze just a wee bit, the ancient instrument of repose gives way to a modern hell-raiser of an apparatus, known commonly as a drum kit. This strange beast makes no sound even when I beat on it with all my might. Unless I plug in my trusty tablet and headphones. With all that wizardry in place, I can now transform my space into a dungeon or a ballroom, depending on my fancy.
Behind it lies an homage to the bygone era of Tetris, an image of which lies pasted on the wall. In memory of a time past, yet ripe with color and merriment even in static form. Whatever dynamic the image lacks is compensated handsomely by dancing lights reminiscent of the timeless Aurora Borealis. The ever-changing colorful lights offer a sense of timelessness despite the movement reminding me of time passing.
While I could sit for hours enamored by the lights, there is another black hole I can't seem to get away from. In the opposite corner, lies a gorgeous screen, my own personal Mirror of Erised. Where I can see whatever my heart desires. The more time I spend looking into it, the more I realize my heart has no end to desire. I can travel to the ends of the world but I can never find the end of desire. This profound realization is relegated aside, as I use it to transport myself into the lives of others & theirs into mine. Staring into the black hole like lens, while the halo of the LED above lights up my face, ensuring anyone watching can count each strand of my growing beard.
While all these objects are magical in their own right, the real magic lies in the nothingness around them. The walls. The walls, stickered with whiteboards, beckon invitingly like seductive sirens. Into the vast emptiness of a blank canvas. Where there are no limits, no boundaries and anything is possible. Anything. As I stare at the vast vacuum, my mind begins to wake from the lethargy of modernity and dance with primal abandon to the merry muses, that will not be denied their pound of flesh. And neither do I refuse. As I disappear slowly into the emptiness, the darkness, the vastness.
Thus the finite walls of my castle are now infinite horizons of endless possibilities. The walls that once felt claustrophobic have now transformed me from a prisoner of the finite to an explorer of the infinite. As a wise man once sang...
"I said maybe,
You're gonna be the one that saves me...
And after all,
You're my wonderwall..."
This literary and imaginary adventure was prompted by Zoe Palmer's discovery of Xavier de Maistre's 42-day lockdown in 1790. Nations may be closing borders, but your imagination has no borders.
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