Perspective

Smiling, I stepped into the room. The luxury of having my own room was delightful, each inch arranged just as I pleased. Sunlight dappled the window and the soft breeze rustled the delicate lace curtains. The butterflies on the wind chime clinked gently against each other, spinning around, transparent threads invisible in the sun.

Light glinted off the various objects on the study table. Photo frames of different shapes and sizes reminded me of a moment captured in time, a memory preserved 6 X 4 glossy print forever.  A shiny Coke can personalized with my name sat next to the frames, alongside figurines of the infamous Mickey and Minnie Mouse grinning with plastic cheer.  I pressed the button on the figurines to make them dance to “It’s a Small World After All” and wistfully thought back to the time I had spent in Disneyland. A penholder in the shape of a complacent cat sat haughtily next to a poor teddy bear who couldn’t sit straight due to her own weight. A plastic rose happily glowed next to them emitting different colours of light that changed every few seconds from blue to green to pink to purple and then blue again. In the sunlight the glow was feeble, but the rose did its job anyway.  Next to it, a contemporary snow globe reflected the changing colours. Instead of snow, it contained tiny red hearts and silver glitter. I shook it slightly and the hearts and glitter gently cascaded down, covering my photo inside with sparkles. These objects, so special to me, took up the whole width of the study table, each with its own story. 

In front of these was a clutter of tangled wires, hastily concealed by the mountain of books and papers. Wires connected to my I-Pod, laptop, cell phone, and other devices so essential to today’s youth. Novels, textbooks, exercise books and papers lay beside the electronic devices, and highlighted the changing world and the different ways of studying.  

Technology and tradition sat side by side.

In the corner of the room assorted objects filled a dressing table. From hairbrushes to combs, lip gloss to foundation, some revealed, some concealed, some enhanced and some eradicated, all made a difference. A black plush sofa sat regally, hiding its treasures within alongside an elaborately carved earring stand. The different pairs of earrings shook ever so slightly in the breeze, some making a faint tinkling, loud enough for only elves to hear.   

The neatly made up bed was reflected in the mirror. The colour of the blanket matched the room, a deep rusty red complimented the creamy white of the walls. Soft toys held reign over the bed, an entourage of a small monkey, panda and dog sat unabashedly on the back of an almost life size tiger, sitting majestically on the bed. Next to it was a giant teddy bear, easily big enough to envelop a small child in its arms. It too matched the colour scheme of the room, its bright red ears, nose, and paws contrasting with its light cream fur. I picked up the teddy and gave it a big cuddle. Most people saw it as childishness to keep so many soft toys on a bed, to the point where there was hardly room for me, but it was a reminder to not get caught up in the troubles of teen life, to forget the problems for a while and to become a child again. Cushions adorned the rest of the bed, and I leaned back on one and sighed, happy with life as it was going.

I looked across at the corkboard hung on the wall with photos, events, reminders, stickers, cards all stuck on it, reminders of a busy life. Opposite it stood a dark oak bookcase, filled with not mere books, but with treasures of the mind. Each book was a ticket to another world, an escape, a chance to explore, discover and learn. Each book was a precious gem, invaluable for the reader. Each book was a mystery that, even if read many times, still held the same allure for the reader. The bookcase was a haven in the room, a place to get lost in, a place to forget about the worries of life and revel in the joy of reading. It was a part of me, and over the years each book was a special friend. Some were gifted, some were collected, some were earnt as rewards but all the books were treasured.