I was walking along a narrow street in a beautiful, crumbly old city in Europe when I spotted this window from below.  I’m used to seeing the usual clothesline with colorful laundry and crisp white sheets blowing in the breeze.  I love to watch women use the pulley that runs across to the neighbors’ house, and wonder if there is unspoken protocol about sharing a clothesline, or if laundry ever ends up in the wrong apartment.

This window took me in another direction, as I imagined  it to be the bedroom of a young girl.  Had she made the dancing fairies herself?  Did she stare at them from her bed?  Were they a gift?  The facts don’t matter, but I do enjoy the daydream.  I could write an entire story about this window.

I recently read a blog piece about day dreaming.  The author discusses the benefits of looking inward as a way of understanding the world.  Unfortunately, we often don’t have or make the time for day dreaming.  This is especially true for youth who tend to plug-in as a means of relaxation.  So, the next time you see a child or adult staring off into space, instead of assuming they’re missing something, just think… “dancing fairies”.

Mind/Shift Blog: https://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/06/why-daydreaming-isnt-a-waste-of-time/