There are some people in my life, who are amazed that I can come up with so many stories. How could I possibly be so creative and make all the stories so different?

What they don’t understand is that the wonder is two-directional; how can they have such a solid grounding in realty? I wonder if perhaps that makes life simpler for them, without the constant distraction of a more entertaining world. My imagination is in a constant state of ‘what if…’ What if we could see the world differently? What if some people had magic, or could harness magic from specific items? What if history were different?

Another source of creativity is my dreams, which of late, have been on overdrive.  For example, I recently dreamt that I travelled through the hills of Mexico where a Great Wall was being built. It was actually a dam wall which would flood the surrounding valleys and prevent travel between Mexico and the United States. In this dream, I knew what was happening, but not why. From there I could begin to tease out the details of what came before and after to explain why the Great Wall of Mexico was being built.

But the one ‘what if…’ that I still can’t understand or explain, is what if I were completely present in reality? Considering my life without my imagination is like considering how I would get around with no legs. There would need to be adjustments to each day, how I travel, what work is available to me. Even thinking about it now, I can’t quite comprehend the full consequences of life with no legs. It is the same with my imagination.

I’m sure life would be easier if I paid attention. But then I remind myself that I managed to get though school whilst only tuning in occasionally, so maybe I can do the same in my adult life.