Imagining Imprisonment

Imprisonment is commonly defined as the place it takes place in - the prison. However, I learnt a new definition of imprisonment in class yesterday - It refers to anything that results in the deprivation of space and a surplus of time. This gives a whole new dimension to the meaning of imprisonment.

I realize we are all prisoners of something. Prisoners of our environment, prisoners of reality, prisoners of a disease, prisoners of the heart, and the list goes on. Deprivation of space - space is abstract. Surplus of time - time is abstract. Some people fall trap to the circumstances they are in. If willpower is not strong enough, they will never get out of it. Instead, they might fall deeper and deeper. Only they themselves have the key to the lock of their "prison". Some people fall trap emotionally to something they hang on to. If unwilling to let it go, they become prisoners of their own heart - they'll never be able to open up again.

Another part of this module (imagining imprisonment) deals with imagination and the arts. In this case, we're looking at prison art. Some forms of art which has a direct linkage to prisoners include tattoo, body piercing, and body alteration. Why do prisoners typically have such things? In prisons, prisoners often have to move from one cell to another. The only thing they can bring around with them is their own body. By creating such art on their body gives them a sense of identity and belonging. Moreover, they enjoy the pain and the thrill they get from these works of art.

Relating this back to the people around us, I do have a friend who enjoys scarring herself. The reason why she does it is so that the physical pain will take away some of the emotional pain she gets from a broken family. Also, inflicting such physical pain on herself reminds her that she is still alive. More often than not, her heart is so dead that she has forgotten what it means to be living.

Sometimes, life gets so messy and crazy that we become prisoners of it. We are subjected to the harsh realities of life and we are not strong enough to rise above it. By holding that grudge, by hanging on to that emotion, by lamenting and feeling sorry for yourself - you are putting yourself into prison. However, there will be some who are willing to take the step, unlock the prison gates, and walk out of it. It is the hardest step to take - to let things go. It takes a lot of mental strength, willpower and discipline. But once taken, these will be the people who will enjoy true freedom.

This module doesn't really touch on the philosophical side of imprisonment. It focuses mainly on the technical side, and the arts of imprisonment. But while attending the lecture yesterday, these were some of the things that popped into my mind. It is really an interesting and thought-provoking module. Next week, we'll be looking at women imprisonment. A topic that made me cry when it was taught in General Paper in JC, when my teacher showed a video on the prison of mothers.

I mentioned Grey's Anatomy is a very therapeutic show right? Just nice, I was watching this episode and they ended off with this quote, which is aptly related to this blog post.

"We're all damaged, it seems. Some of us, more than others. We carry the damage with us from childhood, then as grownups, we give as good as we get.” - Meredith Grey, Grey's Anatomy.

Life do suck at times. The more I grow up, the more I see the world, the more intimidated I get. Growing up doesn't seem as fantastic as it was ten years ago. Knowing too much isn't always a good thing. Ignorance - sometimes - is bliss.