I sit. I wait. The silence screams in my ears. My fear increases while I shake and tears stream down my face. Reality feels terrifying. I get frightened by danger, change, truth, grief, failing, and other situations. I cannot change this. Sometimes I do not deal with my fears. Instead, I visit my secret place.
I stand outside a hotel lobby, a gentle breeze and city noises welcome me. Cars race by, shining lights brighten the streets. All around, I see people walking up and down the streets. When I look up, I see skyscrapers standing together towering above the earth, but also the sun’s radiance overhead. I leave the city and enter a nearby suburb. The suburb feels peaceful and less crowded. I look around and find toddlers giggling on swings at the park while older children talk and walk h ome from school. Adults run their daily errands and people walk their dogs down the blocks. Now, I see a forest near a park. Birds chirp and fly through the air, squirrels swiftly climb new tree searching for food, a deer sips water from a pond, and a fox walks slowly across the forest. I travel place to place, yet everybody seems calm doing their work, not bothering one another. But I realize, I stand there too.
I do not belong here. I look up. I close my book and come back to reality. Back to my problems, my fears, and my worries. I feel scared here. I try escaping and go towards my secret place where I do not have any problems, yet I know I must not stay. I realize I cannot escape and eventually face my fears. And I can overcome them. But when I need it, I know I can go to my secret place.