Time to breathe.....

When I was a child, I used to build up a “tent” in the far corner of the living room, using a bedcover sheet and dining chairs as pillars. Inside my humble den, I made sure to grab all the little personal things that I would need to use during my temporal getaway.
My list of stuff included:
1. A sketchbook to draw stories with cartoon characters (funny how I neglected adding noses to the faces, yet emphasized on drawing beautiful eyes!)
2. A set of plastic maquettes of farm animals that I used to form plays on the ground of the tent. With each animal manifesting a real life character, the horse was my model of a nobility
3. My oldest English book: a collection of famous kids rhymes & fairy tales

In attempt to create my own “customized” space, I surrounded myself with the tools and stuff that would make me feel it’s my small world, my own rules, and my say… no parents rules, no teacher orders, no rude class mates…. I enjoyed that to the maximum…
But things changed a little bit when my younger sister grew up and started crawling her way to my sacred corner. I had to welcome her reluctantly on the condition that she sits there and watch with no further intrusion. Of course this didn’t happen, my rules were broken.. Can't deny we did have fun though… but my concept of a “private space” evaporated eventually…

My idea of blogs was so limited at first.. I was subconsciously convinced that they are exclusive to those who are politically active and their blogs were mainly breathing spaces for their suppressed political stands… Being reluctant to the concept of blogging, my best friend established her own blog a month ago. She encouraged me to read her posts and throw my comments…I started to like the idea, and took my first steps into the world of blogs (how come I was so belated ??)
Today, I declare hereupon the reclamation of my old wish to have a breathing space of my own. It's more like summoning all my kids (banat afkari) to one place...all the scattered thoughts, readings, poems, writings, everyhing...

I might not have too much things to say, but possessing a secured place where I can spill my thoughts freely, is an invaluable feeling…
… and this time, everyone is cordially welcome to my new “tent”…
Let’s all breathe together….

Dodo
December 16th, 2006
From a quiet bookshop in a quiet district
Cairo, Egypt