Wednesday 2 January 2013

I don't draw the curtain



It is probably best I live on the top floor of my eight story building because I never draw the curtains closed. I have never really seen the point to it.

In the day, I like the cleansing sunlight. In the night, I like the calming dark. The dawn brings me slowly to wake and the dusk shares a glass of wine.

Maybe my opposing neighbours know too much about me. Maybe. Who cares?

Does it indicate something about a person when they like to control what is let in and what is kept out?

Even if no one ever looks in due to fences or trees or lack of interest. Maybe the closing is to commit to complete dark or complete light. A binary setting. A semaphore even, with the half open - half closed option.

Then there are those see through curtains that let you leave the curtain open but cut the insight. What does that mean. Is that making it all about hiding or is it all about light?

Maybe curtains aren't the eyes to the soul but I'm starting to think that it is reflective of how much some are willing to share and how much some couldn't care less.

I don't draw the curtains.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Or alternatively that third party gaze is not an issue because your world is buzzing with internal energy?

When people give me the usual social media woe speech (you know the one privacy blah blah) I think:

We are watched all the time. Why bother about it? Why not embrace it and get on with it?

That said I keep the blinds closed coz I don't wear clothes a lot and our elderly neighbour's gaze was a bit too - frequent.

I am looking forward to getting you to show me how to braid my hair without looking odd.

Damana Madden said...

Interesting idea. I love putting random thoughts out there so people can share their views. Often I change my mind completely.

I do like that you don't leave the curtains open to prolong the life of your elderly neighbour ;)

Alison said...

I too like to have the blinds open for the same reasons you stated. I love seeing the sky while I'm in bed and thankfully in the houses I've lived in, that's been possible.

Having that been said I do tend to draw the blinds mostly across when a room's window is next to a common path of neighbours (I currently share a front balcony-style verandah with my lovely next door neighbours who need to walk past my living room to access their apartment.

As a great many dwellings have vertical blinds I've become something of a master of the strategic tilt to block some views while permitting others.

Damana Madden said...

The "strategic tilt" - I love it. Can be taken many ways.