I'm someone who looks for the oddities when poking around places, and then I quickly jump to conclusions about what's going on. My conclusions are usually something like; I bet there was a body hidden here at some point or does anyone really need this big of a knife in their kitchen, it's probably to chop someone up. It's almost always something along those lines because I watch things like Criminal Minds, Snapped, and NCIS faaaaar too much. Immediately, my thoughts jump to death, conspiracy, and family secrets. I've never been correct on any of my murderous assumptions, but it doesn't stop my brain from having that first moment of "Oh my gosh, I bet (insert a murderous act here).
Many years ago, when I was at my grandparents' house, I got into the upstairs closet that spanned the entire length of the hallway. Now, this is a little farmhouse that had multiple additions and projects through the years, so the hall was short and bridged the gap between the only two rooms upstairs. Anyway, I pushed the clothes to one side and low and behold; there was a little door. It was maybe 4 feet tall. Can you guess what my thoughts were? You are right! "Holy crap, a secret door. It's a hidden place for bad people who are never seen again." I do have to add that my family is fantastic, and there is no way they would hide people away in there, BUT my mind jumped to those thoughts in seconds. Remember, I have issues and watch too much T.V. So, let me continue. I was so hesitant to open that door. My thoughts raced; would I find a body, would I find evidence that bad things happened in the past, would I find clues to follow? This could be that moment where I find what my mind is always suspecting and would also land me in lots of expensive therapy all in one shot. I turned the knob slowly and pushed. As my eyes started to adjust, I spotted the pull string for the light. I, of course, pulled it and prepared myself for a flood of incriminating evidence. The light snapped on and revealed a ton of boxes with ordinary stuff in them. Relief and let down, let me tell ya! Where does your mind wander off to when you see something peculiar or out of the norm? Are you a conspiracy theorist? Are you someone who looks for aliens on this planet? Do you rationalize everything, so it fits nice and neat in your mental box? Think back to a time where you were puzzled by an object someone had, something they said, or a place you found. If you can't think of anything, use my story above, use someone else's, or make one up. Think about the initial thoughts you had or would have. Choose a mindset that is out of character for you. Would you investigate more, would you walk away and then write it all out in your diary? Would you tell your friend who always says they won't tell anyone else but they always tell everyone and for some reason you keep trusting them? Write your reaction and take it as far as you can. For example, if you decide not to tell anyone, write about the initial encounter and then how the internal dialogue or blocked emotions would change the course of your routine and conversations with others. Happy Writing, Dusty