BOXES

I have a box that I keep my stuff in.  Not a real box but a phycological box.  In it, I keep my things like number 6 and the color blue.  These are my favorites.  I also keep my opinions in it and my religious, social and political beliefs.  I admit during my formative years I opened it often adding new things.  Now I keep it locked very very rarely opening it to add something.  I wonder why that is?  Perhaps because my box has limited space.

Everyone has a box like mine.  Mostly with different stuff in theirs.  And that's okay with me.  I don't try to make others put 6 or blue in their boxes.  The problem I have encountered is that isn't true of a lot of people.  They want to force me to put their favorite number or color in my box.  They say I must think outside my box.  Meaning they don't agree with the stuff in my box and want me to change it.

The saying "Think outside your box" is absurd.  It is impossible for people to think differently than what is in their box.  One can only add to or take away from the stuff in their box for we are slaves to our boxes.  Wars are caused by people trying to force their boxes on others.

Recently a friend opened my eyes, or rather my box, to a remarkable concept.  Forget "thinking outside the box."  She said we should dump all our stuff out the box and throw the box away.
Now that is a liberating thought.  I am no longer in bondage to the confines of my box.  All my stuff is now lying right there in front of me with plenty of room.  I can add to it or take away from it at my pleasure, never running out of room for new stuff.  Other people's stuff can mix with mine and it doesn't matter.  There's plenty of space so I can just ignore their stuff, or perhaps add new.  Maybe even some of your stuff.

Marshall Kimbrough-Warren