THE PRIVATE PLACE
I close the door behind me and bounce over a few shoes lying behind the door on the narrow corridor leading to the living room. The mug from which I had sipped tea last night still lies on the coffee table next to my now favourite sports magazine and so does a tiny box of biscuits. I remove the 2 remote controls on the couch, lie on my back staring at the ceiling. The bunch of clothes on the recliner seat still waits for me to fold though becoming smaller, ever since I placed them there from the clothing line. I have been picking clothes from there to wear or iron. And those clothes stand as a tiny monument of my procrastination. But who cares. With whom do I have a contract to place everything in order? This is my space. My private space where I make the rules and if what goes wrong, I am the judge, the jury, and sole audience member. And for food, I can eat cold leftovers directly from the container while standing over the sink, staring at a patch of peeling wall paint and feeling more home than in office space where compliance to order comes not in question. And that is the beauty of living alone that should be enjoyed by those who find themselves so anytime in life. That tells us why alone living people's homes rarely find themselves on social media statuses. These spaces remain not as curated aesthetics but rather, messy reclamation of freedom and autonomy. Of course, the rules are different for couples or roommates because they have to be co-authored and likely to make one lose their freedom or just a chunk of it. That hardly means that living with people is a bad thing. No. Actually, the advantages sometimes surpass alone living by far. That said, it does not take away everyone's need for a personal private place for rejuvenation. That place of control and with personal rules. That place feels so free. It could be a private office somewhere. Office workstation or just an office drawer where you throw in papers, pens, neckties, lipsticks, earrings, coins...literally all and no one accesses it or has a right to. It may be that personal bank account with which you can do all you wish. It may be an upcountry home you visit for a few days to unwind or your wardrobe in which clothes interact as they wish. These real places allow people to be real, and real away from the pressures of life and demands of the public eye. Sure, there is a gritty, honest joy in being unobserved. It is peaceful when social media does not know every corner of your home or office. Sadly, there are people whose homes we can describe having never been there. That steals their peace. For real. And so recommends the book from heavens in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 "make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands". Need I say more?
@ Stephen Mungai
