Ode to My Imagination

by Myeashea Alexander

“Contrariwise, if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn’t, it ain’t. That’s logic. “
—Lewis Carroll


I grew up in Brooklyn, NY, East NY, during the 90s. That area was not the nicest area in the world, but I loved it, for the most part. There wasn’t shiny, new buildings filled with hipsters and white kids from the ‘burbs then. There were feuding islanders, middle class immigrant families, drug dealers and a few burnt out crack houses. I never felt imminent danger or anything, but I was aware that there were unsavory elements surrounding my neighborhood.

However, none of that mattered to me because there was magic happening inside. I had this whole world that was so much grander than some of the trials and events that happen to young girls growing up in inner cities. I had a world that wasn’t affected by a sick and dying parent, a single working mother, school bullies that carried knives, classmates that taunted me because I didn’t wear the latest name brands, listen to rap music, or care about Right On (still not even sure if that’s the right name) magazine. I also felt no pressure to change that. Probably because I was convinced that my real life was happening in my room, anyway.

So I want to share with you a list of all the things that made me happy, then and now.

Willy Wonka
Alice in Wonderland
Legos!
William Shakespeare
Harry Potter
Tales of King Arthur
Silverchair
Marie Antoinette
Cupcakes (I liked baking and making candy)
Dogs
Elephants
Dogs
Elephants
(I like those two a lot!)

I’m purposely making this post rather lighthearted because I feel it is important that you understand that that list of things helps to build many of my philosophies. I believe that imagination is an integral part of problem solving. To sometimes release your grip onto a reality that limits you, only to wander around within a world where anything is possible, can give you new eyes and new perspectives. Sometimes the genius of it all is its simplicity.

I don’t believe in impossible, just improbable. What I mean by that is just because I may not see a valid solution to a problem, even in my lifetime, doesn’t mean there will not be one.

Also, the world gets heavy, so having a moment to escape into that is full of wonder, beauty, intrigue, mystery, humor, and possibilities. I think it’s part of my self-proclaimed brilliance. As long as we keep living, we will pile on experiences, good and bad daily. These experiences will make of the sum of our characters. But we can make some choices about what gets to stay and what has to go. I can’t take away running past crack dealers and junkies of my youth, but I can keep the thoughts that encouraged me to run away.

I can’t escape what it felt like to watch my dad die of disease, but I can keep the ending moments of his life when he would just say my name because he loved the sound.

Somehow my wonderful world helps me find the peace where bitterness, anger, and pain seeks to remove it from me.

“I can’t go back to yesterday - because I was a different person then.”
Lewis Carroll”