I want my own crayons!

Do you remember how, when we were in school, we enjoyed using crayons or water colour? Do you remember the pleasure of watching our hidden artistic side making its mark on the paper? Do you also recall when we finished (or not) that masterpiece, only to have the crayons taken by its rightful owner? We borrowed it.

Or take another scenario, in secondary school. That famous rock band album. We can't stop listening to it the moment we get our hands on it. Day and night the stereo was screaming the ear piercing music. Only to be followed by silence days later. Because we had to return the album back to our friend, whom we borrowed it from.

The anguish of knowing that your favorite things are not yours in the beginning. But that simple pleasure of having them even though it's just for a while.

As we grow up, the things that come to us for a little while, making us feel good and contented, change. It could be that very engaging conversation you have over coffee with that special person, but the lingering knowledge that he or she could not be yours because he or she is already taken. It could also be the pleasure of driving a new sports car, only to give up the driver's seat few blocks later to our uncle who owns it.

At times we are allowed to hold on to these temporary pleasures for longer times. But the constant reminder by simple acts or words that they belong to someone else would put a dent on the smile. Whether we like it or not. We keep telling ourselves that it's nothing personal and it's temporary, but our deceitful little heart continue to have that foolish hope. That somehow, mystically, magically the pleasure will be ours to hold on. Forever. Silly, silly. And even sillier when we feel hurt by it.

So, the question is, how do you remain untouched? How do we maintain the non-chalant attitude? Even more important, how do we survive the separation?

Answer: Get your own crayons!