Otero Junior College Chinook

One Day at a Time

     The dusty, wooden floor creaks in pain beneath my feet as I walk down a long, narrow corridor. “Where am I?” I think to myself. An eerie silence surrounds me, and all I can hear is the thumping of my heart as it picks up its pace, growing louder in my ears. I begin to jog down the never-ending hallway and millions of doors seem to surround me. Then, just up ahead, I see a streak of light on the floor stretching, reaching out beneath yet another door; however, it’s the only door with a light on. Curiosity takes over as I grasp the warm bronze doorknob with my cold, clammy hand and slowly turn it clockwise…

     To my surprise, the aged door opens smoothly. I tip-toe across the threshold and discover the light is coming from the beautiful daylight outside the window. I walk across the spacious room and pry the antique window open. A slight, warm breeze hits my face with a heavenly scent of dandelions and wildflowers in the air. I breathe in deeply as I hear some meadowlarks in the distance singing a wondrous song. What a pleasant day it is outside!

     I then remember where I am and turn around to have a look at the over-sized room. The walls look tarnished and worn as if they’ve been to the end of the world and back again; hit by hurricanes and tornadoes that washed away their beauty and splendor. The floor, made of maple and oak, slightly gives way under my feet. It also is tattered from time with wrinkles going every which way, spiraling and zigzagging, throughout the floorboards. Although it screams old and weary, I look closer and see this gleaming youthfulness it once retained.

     Once upon a time this room was lively and bright with fresh, colorful walls and smooth, polished hardwood floors. It was a home to a gorgeous little girl with canary yellow hair and cerulean blue eyes. Once upon a time this room was a comforting friend to a troubled misfit teenager who wept until she fell into a deep slumber. It once held plastic Barbie dolls and soft, cotton teddy bears; posters of rock bands and autographed T-shirts; and both painful and joyful memories to last a lifetime. It was once a shelter, a nest, a dwelling place for one and all that needed it.