The Law of Wonderland

Life hasn’t always offered me wonderful moments or extraordinary experiences. That’s precisely what pushed me to create my own wonderland. I began taking all sorts of journeys in my mind. Thanks to the countless inner trips I take every day, I became an abstract traveler of sorts. The places I visit, the people I meet, the stories I live on these journeys often change — but two things remain constant: I’m always the protagonist, and I always follow the Law of Wonderland.

I consider myself a dreamer, though that’s not always how I present myself to the world. There’s no one in my life to whom I can show my true self without holding back. Maybe that’s true for everyone — no one ever really reveals 100% of themselves. But I’m not even honest with myself. I live a life where I can't fully be myself, even in my own presence. Interpret that however you like. If it were up to me, I’d have a hundred words to describe what that means. But let them stay hidden. As always.

My journeys don’t always bring me revelations or profound lessons. That’s never the goal anyway. They happen randomly, spontaneously. If I learn something along the way, so be it. But more often than not, everything in my imaginary world is bright and beautiful. Of course, there are times when I visit darker realms too. Being a Drama Queen sort of demands that. A certain addiction to pain, even deriving pleasure from it, courses through my veins. Sadly. There are some truths we just can’t escape. And maybe it’s a good thing we can’t. If we could, we’d banish the truth-teller to the ends of the earth. But here’s the thing — our biggest struggle is always with ourselves.

We often fail to follow the advice we give others. It’s inconvenient. You’ve probably heard the saying: “Do as I say, not as I do.” That’s exactly what we’re like. Selfish, and yet somehow not. We can show empathy when someone else is the subject — but when it’s about us, compassion is the first thing to flee. And to recapture that fleeing compassion? It takes effort. But before effort, it takes courage. And weren’t we all born with hearts full of courage? So why do we choose to ignore it as we grow? Why do we always take the easy way out?

Fairy tales. Why do they even exist?

Wonderland — yes, it may be a cliché, but it’s true. Everyone needs their own wonderland. The beauty is, you get to shape it however you want. And you don’t need a passport or a plane ticket to get there. You’re there whenever you choose to be. That’s the golden rule. The moment you enter, every fixed idea, every familiar law collapses. What a luxury! You can think of it as your own personal safe space. When you want to run from the dark toward the light, when you hit a dead end, when you can’t decide which road to take, when you just need to retreat or hide — all those moments, and more, are where Wonderland lives. It pulls you in gently, never forcefully. It never insists. It shows up when you call, and disappears when you push it away.

It doesn’t try to manipulate or change you. It simply is.

Sometimes there’s a little too much, sometimes not quite enough — but it’s always just right. Wonderland is a vast collection of endless maps crafted by your own mind. And the best part? When you choose one path, you don’t long for the others. You know they’re not going anywhere. You’ll get to them eventually.

We grew up with fairy tales. Fell asleep listening to them. And as we grew, not much changed — the tales simply transformed into wonderlands. In fairy tales, everything was beautiful. Even when the villains appeared, it all ended well. But life didn’t turn out to be a fairy tale. It probably never will. Sometimes the bad guys win. Sometimes the story doesn’t have a happy ending.

So at the very least, let us earn a happy ending in our own wonderland.

Is that too much to ask?

I don’t think so.