The Creaking Chair - Part XIII

3^rd August 1953

I woke up in the morning at 5.23 AM

Something like my regular routine these days 

It had been an uneasy sleep 

Remembering when I ended up sleeping is a lost cause 

Its happening most of the nights these days 

I generally sleep between 2 or 3 AM

Must have been some time similar

It is a shady chapter of my life 

if anyone ever cares to write about it 

though I doubt they would get to know much about it in these pages

but I would still try 

understanding human nature & emotions is a tricky act 

some excel in it, while others run away 

They call it escapism – couldn’t find another fancy term it seems

I have been practicing Hikikomori for a 2 years now

Never thought I would start to love it so much

at first, it started as an experiment 

the charm of total isolation without any human contact 

without any worries of handling emotions which come from human interactions to be honest

but then it grew on me

The first few weeks were blissful

you could do whatever you felt like 

It was my space – shielded from all consequences and associated responsibilities 

then came the months of reality hitting you

the self-doubts and existential questions 

realization sinking in of the extent of your escapism 

That was the toughest part, where meditations worked, at least for a while

It was a time when every action you have ever taken in your life comes back in colored reel 

And so does the bundle of emotions like a wave on an ocean front

battering your psyche like that rock on the water front

It’s amazing how there is so much talk about the effects of depression and anxiety on people 

but the issue is that it talks in generalizations 

these demons never attack a herd

each story is unique and each reaction is personalized 

that’s what scares the mental health awareness groups I feel

though I am sure it is sprinkled with some amount of genuine care

I have been told when I look back at these days

I would have a happy laugh about it and how I blew the minor issues out of proportion

while also stating that these are significant emotions & important to me

Choose a side, guys!

But all said & done, I at least know that Depression is real 

and it can hit you anytime, in many different peculiar ways 

I also know how stress in life is equated to an anxiety disorder

or even full blown depression 

but glorifying something like this is not a good choice, mate 

Here’s a toast to reality & as my counselor told me self-realization

~Ashk

P.S. – Well, on hindsight this is one of the only dark entries you would see in my diaries. I think the only reason I plugged this in is to remember my days of Hikikomori. 

P.P.S. – Of course, I created a different journal documenting those 2 years of my life. 

For the complete series, visit - http://www.ashksymphony.com/p/the-creaking-chair.html