I have never been a fan of Pink Floyd, I actually dislike the song a lot. But for the last couple weeks I have been thinking about that pesky little thing: the wall, the emotional wall. I have a crazy imagination and visually see mine made of pieces of brick, glass, metal, rebar and cement. Some pieces are loose; some are in there so tight, I don’t know if they will ever be moved. I see it between you and me. I see it building and it scares me. I am helpless to stop it.
I’m in the throws of my master’s program which will lead me to research insistently. So naturally, I’ve been formulating my thoughts on the wall for a bit. Researching why, how and what to do. I read an interesting article that talked about four reasons emotional walls are built: control, defense mechanism, living in the past and legitimate pains (I’m struggling not to cite my source in APA format, right now). Vulnerability, vulnerability, vulnerability, vulnerability. That’s what I read.
So, I hand my bricks to you, breaking down my wall for you. You hand your bricks to me, lowering the distance between us, trusting each other. Together, we build a wall around us. Together we build a fortress for us. We protect each other, trust each other. Neither is stronger than the other as we each build strength in each other. As I had each brick to you, I believe you will take my vulnerability and make is something beautiful as I you. Beauty is between us, not for others to judge.