The Power of Imagination

I am always amazed by how cool the imagination is. Since childhood, however, my imaginative experiences have considerably decreased. I remember a time when it was so easy to make up a game involving things that weren't really there (e.g., the monkeys and alligators game where we pretended to be monkeys jumping from couch cushion to couch cushion to avoid lava and alligators, who can apparently survive lava burns). Now, the occasions where I can really get my imagination going are few and far between.

Before today, the last time I remember really being able to visualize something that wasn't there was in the summer of 2006. I was in the Olympic stadium in Barcelona. As I looked down at the track, I could picture the events. I heard the piercing noise of the start gun could see the runners take off down the track. It really made the stadium come alive and it is a memory I will never forget.

Today at the art museum, I had a similar experience. We were in the Asian Art section and we walked into a room that was a replica of a Indian temple hall. As I stood in the middle of the hall, I tried to imagine I was in an actual temple in India. For a second, it felt so real that I got goosebumps all down my arms.

It seems as though imagination can make some of life's experiences so much better. Tomorrow I'm getting up at 5:00am to go to NYC with the girls (why I am still awake now, when it is almost 1am, I do not know). I think I'll try to see if I can get my imagination going during our New York sightseeing. Maybe it will enhance my travel experience...