Did you ever make up your own imaginary worlds when you were a kid? I did quite often, but then I discovered a way around that and it drove my mom and Mamaw Jo crazy.
It started one cold winter day when I was especially bored. I couldn’t go outside and there was nothing inside that I wanted to do. There wasn’t even anything good to watch on TV. By the way, at that time there were only three TV stations, but we could only get two. Anyway, I was sitting on my parents rocking chair. It was very well padded, so it was thick and comfy. In desperation, I had the idea to sit upside down on it. Immediately I spun myself around and draped my legs over the back of it. Then I leaned back and let my head dangle off of the seat so my hair touched the floor.
My first thought was: “Whoa!” Let me tell you, that gave the living room a whole new look. I noticed things that I had never previously seen. For instance, I saw small cracks in the ceiling and walls. I saw spots where the wall paint was a slightly different color. Also, the pictures and knick-knacks sitting around took on bizarre images and shapes. I truly felt as if I had entered into another world. Naturally, I pretended that I was visiting a friend who lived in that amazing topsy curvy place. I even sat upside down at my grandparents’ house. That gave me another upside world and imaginary friend who lived there.
It was great until I was caught sitting upside down by Mamaw Jo. Let me tell you, she became very upset and fussed at me: “I swannie. Get up from there. What’s wrong with you?” My parents’ reaction was different. While me sitting like that distressed my mom, she didn’t fuss at me as much she warned me: “Your blood is going to your head!” She was right, but when my head began to feel “weird,” I would sit up. As for my dad, he didn’t say anything, but he would look over at me from time to time. He was okay with me sitting upside down as long as I didn’t pass out.
“Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.” Philippians 3:15 (KJV)
As Believers, we are called to act and perceive things differently than the rest of the world. That doesn’t mean we have to do things such as sitting upside down. We should look to the Lord’s high calling and be an example to others so they will want to be Believers as well.
Have you heard of the astronaut Story Musgrave? He was a part of the team that worked on the Hubble Telescope to correct its lens. As part of his training to be in space, he watched his TV at various angles. This included sitting upside down. By doing that, he avoided space sickness. Hey, maybe I should’ve been an astronaut.

Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.