Lifestyles: Imprisoned in Boxes

The box of the past, present and the future

"Get out of the box!" contemporary thought demands. "Think beyond the box!"

In reality, no one should have to live a lifestyle where one is imprisoned in boxes of any size shape or color.

"Think outside the box!"

Is this something new or different or is it just a new way of looking at an old idea?

The human mind is often considered by some, to be one kind of a box or at least a corner of a box, where people can sometimes get boxed in.

Boxes of any kind are truly wonderful inventions, but when someone sees himself or herself, as being in a locked box, there may be a mental block of some kind, that can affect one's entire life and future happiness.

Look at boxes of the past, present and future for a moment, because as containers, boxes are capable of holding just about anything that anyone can touch or imagine.

Going through one's own boxes of the past, in the real world, is a good experience for many people, but not always. A lot of personal history can be documented as paperwork, stored in boxes. Realistically, where else is one going to put it? Maybe some of it is also stored in safety deposit boxes, locked boxes or safes, that are small, or large metal containers.

Emptying out old boxes in one's home or office, allows one to find hidden treasures, valuables or old favorites of different kinds that have been saved or put away for whatever reason. Maybe there are some old photo albums? This could also include books, pictures, toys, gifts, dishes, or almost anything else that one might imagine.

Many times, there are old cigar boxes lying around, filled with items that have been valued and saved by someone, for many generations. The same is very true for trunks of all sizes. Here, one often finds heirlooms, if and when one goes into discovery mode.

Old cotton lace or linens have often been boxed, complete with mothballs, in huge metal trunks. Sometimes, there are old clothes or hats that could be considered costumes, in our era. Old quilts are also part of trunk treasures; so are old drawings or paintings.

Hand carved pipes and old tobacco may be sitting in a tin box, somewhere. Perhaps there is elegant jewelry or gems that may have belonged to someone in the family, generations ago. Old coins, often of tremendous value, can be found by going through old boxes.

"Look what I found! Isn't this fantastic?" one person might say. "I thought that I must have thrown that away. I am so glad that I have finally found it. I looked for that for years and years. I did not lose it after all. This is wonderful!"

The voice of another sadly states, "I did not need to find this, today of all days," or "I really hoped that I would never have to see that again. I did not like it then and I certainly don't like it now! I can hardly wait to get rid of it, because it is so embarrassing and humiliating. It brings back too many bad memories. Nobody wants to relive the past."

Not everyone wants to dig up the reality of the past, along with its dust and mold, pain or tragedy.

Then there is the box, where indifference suggests, "I really don't care about what is in that box! Just give it to the Sally Ann or whoever wants it. No, I don't have any interest whatsoever in taking a look at it, even for one moment. Get out of here with that." 

When the box is only a box of the past, reality can have a way of closing in. For some, that can be frightening or devastating. There are things that many people want to forget. These can become almost suffocating and bring on intense frustration or even mental suffering. Sometimes people just do not want to dredge up the past.

A box from the present can represent a different scenario. Either there is something new and different going into that box or coming out of it. Maybe it is even a present of some kind. Thus, the boxes of the present tend to be more exciting and intriguing, for some of course, but not necessarily for others.

The difficulty encountered when delving into the boxes of the present is the reality that one has to deal with them or whatever they present. Sometimes, it is difficult to shelve the boxes of the present, but most of us do try to do that at some time.

The present has a way of confronting us head on and as much as we might like to play dodge the ball with the present, it is not always possible to do so. Life is lived in the present, with all of its current reality boxes in a row.

The boxes of the present are most likely to contain something that is essential for immediate survival, like food or clothing, items of necessity for a home or office, a yard or garden, communication devices like computers, printers or scanners, telephones or cell phone, toys, shoes, boots or clothing or linens. The bigger boxes may contain things like furniture and appliances or something that present reality demands out of necessity. Tools boxes and tools come with boxes or in boxes. The list is endless.

We can tend to get tied up in these boxes too, far surpassing our needs with our desires!

It is not uncommon for people to have houses that are built like boxes because the box model for a house or an apartment, is practical, even if is not all that attractive. Schools, government and office buildings, even stores or recreational centers, use the box model, as the rectangular box module functions well, in almost any capacity. Take a look at the modules going into outer space even now. Some of them are boxes of differing sizes and shapes.

New boxes of the present can be of tremendous variety and wonderful to open up or examine in depth, although not everyone likes to do that.

Looking into the future, one may or may not see any boxes, but many times the boxes that are seen, are perceived differently. Some of them will be seen as being good, but not all of them. No one sees everything as good, with the exception of an idealist perhaps.

There are always the unexpected boxes that come from family and friends with gifts. Those are the kind that everyone enjoys. The boxes that have to be filled for others can be rewarding, but when one has to part with treasures and sees truck loads of boxes, heading out the door, that may turn out to difficult. Having to face a pine box may not be pleasant thought either.

When someone tells you to "Think beyond the box," they may be telling you something different than what you expect. Even with respect to the pine box, you can think beyond the box in terms of eternity.

"Think beyond the box," in our era, is used to encourage new scientific discoveries or new ways of doing even ordinary things. Tradition tends to lock us in safe and secure molds or boxes and sometimes, it is difficult to break free from them. Our minds can be locked, in time.

Children have a wonderful way of thinking beyond the box, because they know that the world of exploration and discovery is fun and exciting. It should be that way to everyone, although it is not always that way.

"Think beyond the box," may just mean move beyond the thinking of the past, or the present and get into the future mode of thinking.

A word of caution is in order when you attempt to "Think outside the box".

The Greek word paranoia meaning madness, is broken down into two parts. The first is para, which means outside. The second part is nous, which refers to the human mind. (1) 

"Think outside the box," but not outside your mind. 

Life is not intended to be lived, imprisoned in boxes.

Just a chuckle for the day!

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranoia