A Special Place

by Gabriel Ang

The crickets chirped loud in their musical mating dance as she leaned on the balcony that night. She couldn't sleep. She was restless. She wasn't sleepy at all. She went to her bedroom balcony dressed only in her nightgown, deep in thought. Before she knew it she was there, calmly listening to nature's lovely symphony. For the past few weeks she found no better calming joy than to listen to nature's orchestra of animals sing their songs of love and beauty. The music could sooth any restless heart, she believed. That's why she liked listening to it. Whenever she needed time to think, this place at night always helped her. She found such profound peace in a simple place such as this. At that point in time, she would rather not be anywhere else.

Such is the place many of us seek. It is a place where just being there brings us inner peace. So many emotions in so little time, we only feel them when we are there, and only there. Many times we search for a place where time seems to stop for us, a place where time and space have no meaning. A place where everyone else disappears, and we our alone with ourselves. A place where all torments and sins can be put aside, even for just a short while. A truly special place… where we can be ourselves. This place is sacred. This place is special.

Yet such places differ for different people. Some might find this place to be their room, quite messy and dirty, but it is their home, it is their special place. Others could find it in the bright colors of an autumn day, as the leaves fall onto the ground in a dazzling array of yellow and red, heralding the coming of a white winter. For some, it could be silent flickering of a candle in the night, single rays of light emanating into the darkness, giving light into the black worlds beyond. It could also be the little house of his dog, man's best friend, who might be his only friend. It might very well be a grassy field by their house, the winds blowing at the grass, making it seem like a flowing sea of endless green.

For years I have searched for that very special place, that sacred place, that I could call my own. I've searched far and wide, but I could never truly find that place that could give me inner peace. At my age, one could not expect me to find that place so early in my lifetime. And yet, I believe I have. It a simple, almost barren place, but what it does to me can never be expressed in simple words alone. It has to be felt. It has to be experienced. Where is it, you ask?

It is in my room, alone, with my consoles and my favorite RPGs. I put one inside the console, and then a new world is laid before me. A world where adventures and mysteries abound. A world where people fight for their ideals with swords, magic and machines. There I travel the world, seeking adventure, fame and fortune. There I see my purpose in the world, to help those in need, to give my life for them. There I find those who will fight by my side, through thick and thin, to the depths of hell. There, I am needed. The people need me. I fight for them. I fight back the evil that wishes to enslave them for eternity. Though I may die in the process, I know I made a difference in the lives of the many.

Here, I do not only play the world, I AM in the world.

You.... what's your special place?