It was just my Imagination?

When I was growing up, I had imaginary friends.

I became conscious of these ‘friends’ when I was about 7 and for a few years, they were a big deal in my life.

Now, these imaginary friends were actually the colours I saw dancing behind my eyelids when my eyes were closed. One was Reddie because, Red and another was Blue.

They provided me some solace, as I grew up in a household being the only child. But most important, my imaginary friends gave me companionship.

I remember at some point sharing the details of my imaginary friends with my cousins, one hot summer day, down in the country. They looked at me like I had just walked off the moon. They then let me know that having imaginary friends was weird.

I ignored them of course and carried on, but as time and life went on, my imagination grew to create more formidable imagery, through books.

All Grown Up

My imaginary friends were no more, until now…

For you see, I have discovered a strain of people that are just that, imaginary friends.

People who we willingly give the titles – friend, acquaintance, brethren, yadda yadda…

But in reality, they are completely imaginary, inauthentic, apparitions, who are unable to truly be part of your life.

How can they be with you or for you, when they probably want what you have or may even resent you, just for being alive?

Social media, in all its ephemeral glory makes them even more prevalent because they’re able to participate in your life, virtually.

How do they do this you ask?

By quietly watching and observing your every move. Your every snap, every whatsapp status update and every post to IG and Facebook.

Because for them, keeping tabs on your every move is their way of keeping you in-check.

By nature, these imaginary friends may have delusions of grandeur which leads them to having a larger than life imagination that positions them as your ‘competitor’.

Take a moment right now, and identify those people in your life, who are barely there… The not quite friends but the not quite strangers, the ones who you were cool with but the season has passed.

Once you know who they are, cut them loose. Free your mind, free your destiny, free up your energy.

Jamaican people have a saying about friendship – “Good fren betta dan pocket money.”

But there is another saying that is seldom heard nowadays – “Yuh shake man han, yuh nuh shake him heart.”

Be inspired, Be informed, Be Glorious!

Kevin