Search This Blog

Sunday, 24 July 2016

A Queen's Closet

I was watching an episode of Sex and the City when I first fell in love with walk-in closets. It was a distinct moment when the world stopped and all my senses turned their focus on Carrie's closet. As soon as all her clothes, bags, and shoes came into view after opening her closet, it became clear to me what I wanted to have more than anything else in the world - a walk-in closet of my own. There is something magical about opening a door that leads to a land of accomplishments where every piece of shoe, bag or clothing represents a part of yourself that is filled with your essence - that which speaks most about who you are.

A shoe is not just a shoe. It is an extension of yourself that allows you to think that all the world's a ramp and you are the star of the show, walking down the stage to an expectant crowd that's secretly envious of every step you take. A bag is more than just a pretty ornament that carries your daily essentials, it is a wand that you wave to summon the magical world into being, carrying you to the world of possibilities. Your clothes aren't just pieces of fabric sewn together to cover your dignity, they are the armor that you put on every day to fend off the attacks of vicious beasts lurking in every corner, waiting to pounce on unsuspecting victims.

That moment when Carrie opened her closet set this queen's benchmark for magical moments. Every instance from then on had to resemble in some way Carrie opening her closet. The look she had in her eyes spoke of all the potential that the world held for her. It tells a tale of adventure, disovery, faith, hope and love. Her closet contains her life story, events that defined her and those that took her to the edge. All these in a few square meters of wood and concrete.

I've always fancied myself to be Carrie in my own tv series. Like her, I write about the only thing that I know - my experiences. I too share her love of shoes, bags and clothes. To me, they are what words could not readily express to the world without conversation. I say this because I rarely get to converse with people outside my royal court. Apart from the usual pleasantries extended at social functions, my conversations do not last more than a few minutes of awkward getting to knows followed by intervals of marked silence. It's not because I have nothing to say. On the contrary, I think perhaps it's because I have so much to say - more than what those around me are interested to hear. Some of the members of the royal court tell me that there is a sense of unchecked arrogance that I exude every time I say anything. There are times when I am called out for condescendence or overbearance. Admittedly, there really are times when I tend to be forceful with my statements. It comes perhaps from the air of being a queen that when left unchecked, will further inflate my already burgeoning ego into colossal proportions.

Being a queen sure has a lot of perks but it is wearisome to be one especially in situations that matter, like conversations. Every time a queen opens her mouth, she is regarded as controlling or aggressive. There can't seem to be any middle ground for a queen because she will always be regarded as an embodiment of the power that she represents. Her truths and stories are drowned by her stature. The substance of her thoughts are reduced to mere platitudes of a self-entitled individual. Sadly, she is not given a chance to be heard as a person speaking from a post of compassion. It is almost unheard of for a queen to be in touch with the plight of those around her just because she is seen as someone standing on a pedestal. The truth is, the queen is as excited about a conversation as the next girl is. She desires to express herself and hear what others think of the world too. There is an entire universe beyond the walls of her castle but she only gets to see a miniscule part of it. She leaves the confines of her estate to learn about the world out there but there is no one there to show her. Again, she is left to the faculty of her imagination, deducing from stories she only hears of but have no intimate knowledge herself.

This queen can only hope, as Carrie did, to find someone who is willing to show her the world and listen to her stories without prejudice. Maybe one day, when the queen opens her closet, she'll find him kneeling on one knee offering her the universe - inside a pair of shoes. No moment can be as magical as that. Those shoes will take her to worlds she has never been to nor even imagined of. Then maybe, just maybe, she'll be able to have her walk-in closet made now that she has things to fill it with.


xoxo



QB

No comments:

Post a Comment