Inspiration

     The story of Alice is a story of us all. You don't have to be a child or going through adolescence for that matter, to understand that the world can often be tricky to navigate. One of the things I love about the story is that Alice's mind paints a clear, though somewhat insane, picture of an inevitable truth-there is no map on how to live life; at least none with pictures!

     Life is a rabbit hole of decisions and choices depicted in her selections to drink a potion or eat cake. The white rabbit she seems so eager to follow could very easily be a metaphor of hopes and dreams. For Alice, the white rabbit is a goal that must be chased and no matter where the journey to achieve it takes her, she must fend off useless distractions and side roads that end up leading nowhere. 

    Sounds a lot like life doesn't it? Getting distracted, making both good and bad turns, and looking back wondering “what was I thinking” or “remember when?” By the time we get to one of the most famous lines quoted from the book, “I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it,” Alice is sure that her path is hidden from her and that she will never make it home or catch the white rabbit. The beauty of this story is that she does.

    Girl Lost is not about being lost at all, but learning how to navigate; something I hope Alice learned in the end. For her, growing up presented challenges and fears of who she might become and whether or not she was ready. For most of us, it's the day-to-day that can get a bit scary or at least scary in its feeling of being monotonous. 

    Some of the greatest minds in literature have wandered a time or two, pondering life. And while it might very well be a journey, it seems to definitely require being a little lost sometimes. Like Alice, maybe the fear of being lost can be overwhelming, but then you’re only one step away from being found. In the words of JRR Tolkein, “Not all those who wander are lost,” not really!