Follow the Yellow Brick Road: The Room

Michelle Song

What a scene it is. In one corner a pair of shoes carelessly thrown aside, a plastic water bottle beside it in a similar state. In a forgotten crevice lay several pennies strewn about, and in the far back wall, a lone fire extinguisher covered with dust from an eternity of waiting.

Pity Party of 4. No beverages needed, water is fine, two kids menus.

An amalgamation of the saddest beings in this world. Underappreciated, taken for granted, and abused. Really they should get a trophy, not a large one though, that’ll give them too much attention. What they must endure to survive the neglect, to believe and cling on to hope. It’s admirable. Truly.

Left as a shell of what they once used to be, a vessel of broken dreams kept afloat by a sea of unshed tears. Tears they can’t ever express because they need to hide under a guise of perfection. A veil they can never take off or their deepest insecurities will be unleashed to a world of unacceptance. A world they’ve been forced to grow accustom to. A world that made them believe they’re worthless.

And yet, here they are. All gathered here today, to witness something so spectacular, that no one would believe if they didn’t see it with their own eyes. A day of glory unmatched. The day of acknowledgment.

They’ve sailed a thousand seas and waited their entire lives to serve us, in exchange for fleeting thoughts.

But together in tandem, they learn they’re not alone. They have others with them to remind them that they’re all in it together. Together enduring ups and downs, twists and turns. The room they live in, a part of this treacherous world is also their safe haven. An area of them to be their most genuine selves. A blissful paradise.

They can’t be sure of when they’ll be acknowledged, assuming it ever happens. But one thing they know of, one thing they’re sure, is they have meaning. They have a purpose. And regardless of what happens, they have meaning. To me, to you, to everyone.

Really if you think about it. The aglet, the plastic water bottle, the penny, the fire extinguisher. Underappreciated, different, clinging on to a hope. Every day is a struggle. Appreciate them while you can. Because really if you think about it,

They’re just like the people in our lives.