Down the Rabbit Hole You Go
If you watched the story of your life, would you enjoy it?
It starts with a curiosity sparking a gentle flame, a low hum in your gut that you pay no mind to initially, but an unattended matchstick alight could lead to a blazing fire. There you were, standing near the edge of what appeared to be a rabbit hole, but you could not possibly believe it was. It was far too big for a small animal such as a hare — but then whose is it?
“We are your hopes and dreams. We are your subconscious thoughts. We are everything you said you hate. We are your worst fears.” A chorus of ominous whispers traveled across the rabbit hole and into the space in which you stood, creeping up your back without warning, and hissing in your ear threateningly.
It was an unsettling feeling washing over you like a massive, bitingly cold ocean wave. Perhaps that should have been sufficient to incline you to step back and away from the hole, but you could not help it. Nothing could stop you from focusing on this mystery lying ahead waiting deviously for you to explore, not even the unnerving whispers greeting you with a sinister smile slithering itself into its tone it carried effortlessly.
The longer you observed the hole, the larger it appeared to grow, like a hungry beast opening its greedy mouth, ready to swallow its prey. Sure enough, the hole stretched until it gulped you down in it, and you fell into a never ending spiral through the rabbit hole, your startled scream silenced by the darkness surrounding you.
Deep down you go, down the rabbit hole of your life you go.
As you flailed your limbs in the air while falling, you could hear snippets of whispers around you, brief phrases strewn carelessly in the lightness of the air, but these whispers bore a heavy density to them. They’d evidently be felt as they land on your shoulders, or your face.
Everything about your life was hidden somewhere in this rabbit hole; every memory, every word spoken, every emotion felt – it was all there. Your mind was having a difficult time fighting to absorb all these memories all at once, an effort so profound that it caused a dull ache in your head.
There were beautiful memories you’d almost forgotten, embracing you momentarily with a gentle force – your grandmother singing to you as you fell asleep, your mother sitting you down on the kitchen counter when you were little to bake a cake, your father teaching you how to ride a bike, your grandfather sharing the newspaper with you. It was all rushing to you in one overwhelming swoop, but it was so emotionally beautiful, so powerfully moving. Memories with your friends playing together in the neighbourhood where you grew up, memories of your highschool graduation, memories of your very first pet and how gentle you had to learn to treat it.
Suddenly, an unpleasant memory surfaced, followed by another, and another. Your grandfather being very ill, your fallout with your friends, isolating yourself. You covered your ears in a desperate attempt to block out the noise. It was too much, like a tsunami of negativity ready to pummel you to a pulp.
Eventually, you felt your feet touch the ground, and as you stood shakily on a soft surface that felt like sand, you lifted your head to look up through the rabbit hole, and found your life memories playing on loop in the air around you.
So many memorable moments, so many tearful memories, so much pain, yet so much joy. Tons of adventure, yet plenty of days spent lazily.
You change your perspective on your life when you see it right in front of you. You often lose sight of your purpose, or forget just how wonderfully you spent your time. You think you’re wasting it away, but you are not. If only we had the power to remember every single thing we’ve endured and experienced. If only we could savour every happy memory, every experience that altered the course of your life.
Even the sad memories are of high significance; they had a hand in moulding you into who you are now. And who you are is so extraordinary.
“Do you see it now?” A voice hissed into your ear, nudging you to gaze up at the mouth of the rabbit hole, and you felt something shift within you.
“I see it.” You replied, but your mind was occupied putting the hints together like puzzle pieces to reveal the mystery of the hole and what message it was trying to send you.
The mouth of the rabbit hole revealed the blue sky above, and your memories remained underground, and this was the message. You dwell on the stagnant rut you find yourself in on most days, but you forget everything you’ve accomplished, and forget that you still have the rest of your life to continue achieving more things.
Appreciate and cherish your memories, and look forward to what your future brings, but don’t just stand still waiting for the best thing to happen to you. You must climb out of the rabbit hole and make it happen yourself. Play a role in your own story — be the main character of your story.
You blinked, and you found yourself back above the rabbit hole, peering down at it, and you smiled down at it, before glancing up at the sky. The breeze tickled your skin, triggering goosebumps on the back of your neck, and your ears perked at the sound of the leaves rustling on the trees around you as the wind picked up its speed. Your hand reached for your bicycle parked against the tree nearest to you, your mind briefly remember your father teaching you how to ride a bike many years ago, and you inhaled slowly, cherishing the memory.
Climbing onto the bike, you pedaled away, in search of your next memory to be made and stored in your rabbit hole.
No more waiting. You’re in control now — and life never felt as good as it did in this very moment.
