Wall Art

I know what you might be thinking: “Another post talking about her room?”. All I have to say is that this is where I spend almost every waking minute I have when not in school or at soccer practice. To many people, their room may be just that, their room. A place where they sleep and maybe even do their homework. But, to me, my room is so much more than that. My room is a form of expression.

Upon first entry, there are many things you may rest your eyes on in my room. It may be the window directly next to my bed, or the sheer curtains failing at blocking light out of my room and instead catching gusts of wind. It’s not until you venture through my door that the heart and soul of my room come into view, my north wall. Not only does it have a big window, but it is also covered from carpet to ceiling. With what you may ask? With the things that have shaped me into who I am today. This wall is filled with memories.

Starting your gaze at the top right corner, just left to the window, one of my largest prints, a Beatles poster. Some may consider having a band as well known as The Beatles on your wall “basic”. But, for me, it means so much more. This poster brings me back to Christmas 2020 when I found it under the tree. My dad knew I loved this band, as his mom, my grandmother, had introduced me to them several years back. Looking at this poster I am reminded of Grandma G removing the red disc with a large yellow 1 from its plastic sleeve just before it is inserted into the player. Instantly, the car was filled with the bluesy harmonica combined with a rhythmic tambourine in the classic “Love Me Do” one of my favorite songs to this day. At that young age, I did not realize that this moment would spark a love for music so defining of my character. Now, scanning the items on my wall, more than half preview this same passion through album covers, pictures of bands, or posters from concerts. I have to thank no one other than Grandma G for one of my strongest passions.

Continuing to skim my wall, veering your gaze down towards the center, still underneath my love for music, hidden between polaroids, paintings, and records comes a crumpled receipt with faint ink spelling out Pixel Blast Arcade. Looking at it takes me back to the brisk air and braces that were October 2019 of my freshman year. I can still hear the sounds of joysticks moving back and forth in their sockets with buttons being mashed just a little too hard, getting louder as my new friend and I enter this random arcade we found on the internet not too long before arriving. I never took a car racing game as the type to produce such hearty belly laughs from two 15-year-olds and never in a million years would I have guessed that this fateful night would have established the building grounds for a lifelong best friend like it did.

As I sit here, writing this post, I can’t help but fret over the identity of this wall in less than a year. I will inevitably be burdened with the task of deciding what to pack, and what to leave as I transition into my next stage in life: college. This wall represents my identity. The growth of this elaborate puzzle of posters, receipts, flashcards, and pictures is a reflection of my character growing and developing into the person I am today. These posters and these receipts have gone far beyond holding only physical or aesthetic value. In a year, no matter what memory makes the cuts to be on my wall, its impact on my life will remain. No poster or picture can change the person I have become today. With the hardships of today come the opportunities of tomorrow. My wall may change, but with new wall space comes the opportunity for new memories to find their way on display and into my heart.

So, to many people, their room may remain just that, their room; a space for them to sleep, maybe eat, maybe study. But, I hope that after reading this, you may be able to begin to look at your room as more than that. Make it a space that is not only comforting but also reflects who you are as a person.