The power of fantasy

“Can you imagine losing your fantasy?” That’s what I asked Aly lately, and she wildly shook her head.  “Not in a million years”, she said. Aly is the daughter of one of my friends. She is 4 years old and since I know her I learned a lot. She became one of my biggest inspirations in my life, and my writing. Fantasy is the base, or the core of writing and this little girl has an infinite amount of ideas and stories in her head. She uses her imagination to explore the world. There’s so much she doesn’t know but somehow she does, only without knowing.

Can a single drop be like a gate into another world?
pic by Andrea

I remember one day when Jim, a good friend of mine, and I were picking up Aly for eating some ice cream. Soon she started talking excitedly about the ice princess with her strawberry dress and her vanilla skin, and her chocolate hair. “It’s maybe too sad to eat her,” Aly said. “She is just so beautiful, but of course she is, she is a princess. Aren’t all princesses beautiful?” “Sure they are,” I replied. “But the sun doesn’t like her. I don’t like that. Why can’t it let the princess live longer?” “Well, ice melts when it’s too warm”, Jim tried to explain. “But it’s not fair for the ice princess. She has such a short life. So I will enjoy her beauty as long as I can.”

When she saw her princess, Aly’s eyes started sparkling. She was looking at the ice cream, like she never saw something like this before. “Life is short. Most people would gulp you down in a rush. Not me. I’m not in a hurry. I know that I will never see you again. You are special and beautiful.” Jim and I looked at each other, then at our ice creams on the table. At this moment I wish I could see the princess, but all I saw was ice cream. That made me a little upset and Aly noticed that. I didn’t want to tell her that somehow all grown-ups lose more and more of their imagination and see it all differently. So I told her about my other big wish.

“I want to have a dog, most of all a Maltese. They are just the cutest”, I gushed. It’s all true, but as long as I go to college I simply can’t have one. Aly looked at me with her blue eyes and smiled. “The longer you wait, the happier you will be when your wish comes true.” The next day I visited her Mom. We sat in the kitchen and talked. Then Aly came in, holding a shoe box in her hand. She gave it to me with a big smile on her face. “Here. That’s what you wished for.” I took the box; it felt empty, so I didn’t open it but asked Aly what that was. “In it is your Maltese, white, fluffy and so sweet.” 

picture by Fireangel33

Whole life in 24 hours

I might have mentioned the last book I read. It's called 'Before I Go To Sleep' by S.J. Watson. I have to admit it's one of the best books I ever read and recently finished reading it. The story is about a woman who wakes up every morning and has no memory. She can't remember anything. Imagine you wake up, and don't know where you are, or even who you are? Every day you have to discover yourself.

She only has a few memories of her youth, and sometimes she can remember a few things, but after she went to sleep and wake up the next morning, it's like the last day didn't exist. She only lives for the day. The time has no meaning. The man she wakes up with every morning, she can't remember him either but has to believe what he tells her. About their marriage, about their son, about their life. Every day the same.

Her doctor had the idea that she should write some sort of journal and he calls and reminds her every day to read what she did the days before, and what memories she had. And so she writes about her life every day that she can re-read the thoughts she had that day some days after. That she can read her own memories, and has not just believe what others tell about her and her life. So the diary gets longer and longer, and the reader is like that woman who reads her journal and gets to know about her and her life.

Living with no memory of yourself and your life is really hard.

It let me start thinking about memories. What would we be without them? Isn't it our memory that makes the person that we are right now? We remember the good and the bad things that occured to us in life. We met people, those we can trust, and some who really disappointed us in any way. Luckily I haven't met many belonging to the last group of people, but I do have met some weird guys, and also some mean and dishonest people. Memories help us not to do the same mistake again, and also let us remember the people who once left us can so that they can still be alive in our memories.

How would it be for you losing your memory? That you don't know who you are, how your name is, to whom you're married? That you don't recognize your own kids, or brothers and sisters? I guess it would drive me crazy. It's like starting a new life over and over again, and don't have any life at all. I mean you neither have a past nor a future. You just live right here and right now. It's like meeting a stranger, but also knowing that you're meeting yourself. Every day is like a whole life. Next one starting tomorrow after waking up, will last 24 hours or less, depending on when you fall asleep, and then it will all start again.

My best friend’s a rabbit… and imaginary

Who had never had at least once an imaginary friend? Is this one of the geeky things on us? I guess I hadn’t just one – I had lots of imaginary friends. When you become older, you find out that is better not to have such friends. Otherwise someone will take you to a shrink, or directly into a mental institution. And you also know, that having real friends to talk to is even better.

Anyway, having an imaginary friend can sometimes help and encourage you. If you have something on your mind, but you don’t wanna talk about it to anyone, you can think about someone. No matter who this person is, if it’s someone you know, any star or just someone completely created in your mind, it can help you. You can talk to him or her, feel better afterwards and maybe you also think what she would answer you and so get another point of view. I don’t think that anything is wrong with that, maybe because I do it sometimes. Just when no one is around, or I am not sure how or even if I should tell to someone real.

But why a rabbit? We know the Easter bunny. We know that rabbits are smart and fast. And they are also symbols of birth, a new beginning. A rabbit seems to be loyal and frankly. He is clever, and so gives useful advices when you have a problem. This might help you to get a new start, or a new point of view on something.

Today is the offical start of Harvey on New York Broadway. When I read the first time about it, and I haven’t seen it so far, I thought this is really interesting. An imaginary friend, that no one else can see, and his ‘inventor’ is such a warm and friendly person who wants to connect with everyone. I would really love to see this. The story is wonderful and I guess also Jim will do an awesome job. I like seeing him in other roles than Sheldon, and live on stage would be extra special. But as a student I’m probably richer of knowledge than of money…ha, joke, would be great if it really would be like that. No, but I also have soon my exams I have to work for, and such a trip to NYC is simply impossible now. But I am happy for everyone who’ll get the chance to see this wonderful play.