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Monthly Archives: November 2015

Imagination, Creativity, and Space

When I was a child, my older sister invented a world in the garden. I’m not sure if it was more inspired by Narnia or Terabithia, because to me it seemed to be equal parts of both. It’s strange to think of a lush realm in the midst of the Colorado plains, but she managed it somehow. It was hidden away beneath the shade of a plum tree and walled in by a grape vine, and it was there that she established her domain. During the spring, she would pick flowers from the local greenhouse and plant them in her little corner of the back yard. It was a fantastic spot to spend a hot afternoon. With fresh fruit growing overhead (and around the corner in the main part of our parents’ garden) and water from the hose, you could stay out there for hours.

I never said anything to her then, but I was jealous. I wanted something like that, and she’d taken the best spot in the yard for it. I realize now, though, how important having a space of her own was to her. When we were kids, there were four of us sharing two bedrooms, and it was never easy for any of us to get time to ourselves. If I had the bottom bunk of the beds I shared with our youngest sister, I would hang blankets up to turn it into a fort. When we got a new fridge, I asked to keep the box it came in. Some scissor work and marker drawing later, it sat on the top bunk and turned into a Calvin and Hobbes-esque spaceship. Both of these spaces were mine, despite only being partitions within another room.

We would seek out places where our creativity could thrive. I didn’t realize how essential it was then, but the space we could make for ourselves was critical to us. Our imaginations were fueled by the books we read and heard, and the desire to craft something from our own thoughts moved us forward. Today, my big sister is an architect, and I couldn’t be more proud of her. She went to college and poured herself onto canvas and into sculpture, bringing her imagination into reality. Just like she did in the garden back home, she’s making the world a little more like she dreamed it could be, one small space at a time. It’s an incredible bit of inspiration for me. I may use a keyboard or a pen and paper where she used paint and clay (and now wood, concrete, steel), but I like to think that, at least in some small way, I’m following a part of her path.

On Veterans Day

Today is the eleventh of November, a day that celebrates the sacrifices made by those who have served or are currently serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is Veterans Day. On this day, I would like to express my gratitude to my family and friends, both current and former military. I would like to thank all those who have served, because it is a sacrifice. I would like to thank the family members and friends of our veterans as well. Please do not think of me as ungrateful.

But I would like to say something more. I would like to share a wish, a prayer, a dream. It’s something that I feel every Veterans Day. I would like to see a future where we don’t have to thank living veterans, and the years in which the dead fell are further and further from us. Not out of spite or malice, but out of a desire for an end to war. I long for the day when our military forces are no longer necessary, for a Veterans Day celebration that doesn’t require us to thank our loved ones via Skype or phone. I hope for a future when we can thank all those who sacrificed time, family, and life so that no more must ever sacrifice the same. I don’t want to forget the veterans who have come before, or those who are yet to serve. Your service to your country should never be forgotten. I only wish that we had less need of you. I wish there were no cause that required you to give up what you do. I dream of peace. I’ll do my part to make it a reality.

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” 
—John F. Kennedy

Thank you.