Curiouser and Curiouser

Everyone’s heard of Alice and her infamous journey into a land of talking caterpillars, disappearing cats, mobile playing cards, and everlasting tea parties. Like any other self-respecting six-year-old, I was enchanted by the impossibility of it all, which is why Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is so much fun to read. After poring over the pages, I cleverly deduced that there’s a world that makes sense and a world that doesn’t. As a kid, I figured that adults knew what they were doing so it was inevitable I would grow up into the more rational world – a world where rabbits don’t wear waistcoats or carry timepieces. This revelation was unappealing to say the least. No way was I going to turn into some boring adult!

I was so consumed by Alice’s adventure that over the years I read the book at least 7 more times (including its counterpart Through the Looking Glass), played the Cheshire Cat in a school play, built countless houses of cards, developed a tea addiction, and wrote my own version of an Alice in Wonderland movie. I even conceptualized the roles my sister and three neighborhood buddies were to undertake. Unfortunately, the film never came to light. Don’t tell me you weren’t wondering…

The point is, as I grew older I realized that Alice’s tale is more real than any of us may think. Every time I experienced something new – especially if it was out of my comfort zone – I felt like Alice, floundering in a strange land of mad people. I began identifying with her intensely, especially when I developed my first crush, entered both high school and college, studied abroad, and graduated. The day I realized that our everyday life is akin to Wonderland, it was as if the skies had opened up. A-ha moment! Here’s what I worked out: when we are comfortable, we are always in a place where things make sense, yet whenever something happens to undermine this comfort, we all become Alices seeking to understand a decidedly confusing world.

My six-year-old self would totally roll her eyes at this. Isn’t it kind of magical though that children’s stories can disclose messages to you at any age? Anyway, I loved this book because it grew up right alongside me, mirroring my changes and developments. I was Alice, bumbling along and trying to figure things out. Still haven’t really figured them out…

Thanks, Lewis Carroll. You did beautiful work.