The Genesis of Imagination

Once upon a time, there was a young, black man the age of about 5 years old sitting in a room at a relative's house playing with toys. He played with these toys for a while, in his own little world.

This marked the first time where the young man began to use his imagination. It started off with a couple questions: What is so special about this moment? What did he seek to obtain? Why did he want or need to do so?

 In his mind, the 5-year old thought that it was fun and entertaining playing with toys. He could re-enact events in movies that he saw. He could rewrite the story of whichever that caught his interest to an ending that appeased him. Even more importantly, he could rewrite the narrative or situation to the best outcome.

Without even being able to put it into words or even comprehend it, he knew that he liked being in control. With toys, while he could manipulate what happens, he enjoyed the fact that he could create the perfect or best ending. This is what motivated him to proceed to acquire what he sought out.

The last thing he had to figure out was what he needed to get. This seemed like such an obvious choice. The toys are what started it, the toys must be the solution. Just like that, case open - case closed.

If only it were that simple.

Just as the young man was playing with his toys, thinking that he had it all figured out, he took a look beyond his world.

What did he find?

He realized that he was accompanied by his brother's aunt (4 years old), two of his brother's uncles (about 10 - 14 years old), and some neighborhood friends.

It's not necessarily the amount of people that caught the 5-year old's attention, but what they were doing. As he took a moment to observe his surroundings, he had realized that they were all taking turns playing on a small video game system.

(Psst - This isn't the game system referenced, it's the one closest to it.)

After a little while of observing the group and the game, he stepped out of his world and asked to give it a try.

He was playing a version of Super Mario, but it was like nothing he had ever experienced previously. For a moment, he there were only physical toys until he discovered that there were electronic versions, too.

With this toy, he could hop on turtle shells and brown little creatures. He could venture across the map to the flag, and he could also save pretty princess.

Once he had his turn, he eventually went into his previously occupied space to ponder more about this ideal world of his. It was very clear that there was more beyond what he thought he knew.

At this point, he didn't quite know all that he sought after; but he did know that he was going after something. In fact, he determined that he would go and acquire all that he could.

This is the one experience which sparked the young man's imagination for everything else that he sought after in life.

The Lessons/Takeaways

You might be saying, at this point, what was the point of the story? The response is relatively simple.

1. Objects, of course, have meaning; whichever that may be that the owner bestows upon it. Even if it may be something as silly as toys, they have meaning and are symbolic of people and things greater than them.

Another thing to keep in mind is that, if one really thinks about, there's toys at just about every level. For kids and young children, they have the action figures, dolls, teddie bears, and etc. The teenagers and young adults have video games, laptops, phones, and other electronics. The adults and elderly have the jewelry, high-end vehicles, and yachts or ships. This is something to keep in mind with the upcoming works.

2. However, the greater idea may be that, although it's easy and necessary to some extent to stick within one's world, it's beneficial and equally necessary to pay mind to the exterior world. Not all ideas are or can be created by one's self alone, but it does take the individual to retain and develop it towards them.