Outside The Palace

My regular route to and from school was the palace. I'd trek on the paved ground where the ambiently adorned palace walls, gated by black see-through fences, and guarded by men in black. I'd say to myself: "Someday I'd go in." Until the day my thought was spoken aloud. I hadn't realized that my subtle admiration had been observed by my acquaintances. It was then that my utterance validated their assumptions. And one advised, why not say, "Today, I'm going in". My heart swelled, touched by the reality of those words. Because for the first time I actually imagined myself walking through those gates.

Imagined.

And it dawned on me, that the life outside the gates was nothing compared to the Royal lifestyle. Who would I be when I get there? What would I say to Her Majesty? How would I hold my cutlery, and when I'm offered a seat, how would I sit? I began to fantasize what it would mean to be a guest in there, not to mention a partner, perhaps through business or even as an academic achieve. Others had done it, so why not I?

That was when I realized that although my acquaintances and I trekked past the Gates daily, our destinations were ne'er the same. Although we had huge dreams and impactful visions in life, our destinations were ne'er the same.

And there, I counseled the rosy coy, myself. If thou meanst to enter the Gates of the Royals, thou ought to be prepared. To prepare thy heart, thy values, thy mind, thy speech, thy appearance, thy conduct, thy passions, dreams and actions towards there, and finally the greatest testimony that brought thine own through the Gates.

Will you be ready when you are called to come in?

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