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Why I’m Going to Build a Blanket Fort to Escape the World
Desperate times call for desperate measures
I am over 550 months old, yet I still feel compelled to build a blanket fort. I want the calm security and fortified defense that only five-seven blankets, pitched like a tent, can bring. Is that weird? Am I secretly eight years old?
I was an independent kid — endless summers of sleepaway camp and solo train rides and flights to NYC shaped my ability to survive on my own. Leadership wilderness trips and life overseas have taught me that my wells of resilience and intentional solitude run deep. Nevertheless, when I run a fever or am sick enough to stay in bed, my inner kid wants my mommy and the security of my blankets.
When the world feels chaotic and the future uncertain, I want a fort of blankets to crawl under and hide.
Experience has a way of stripping away all pomp and circumstance. In random, overwhelming moments, I remember I have little to zero control over what happens in my world, my country, my city, my family, or even my own life. Enter the blanket fort. I can rebuild my defenses, clear my head, and refocus my perspective in the safe warmth of my bed.
