Asthma was just one of my imaginary friends. The only difference, Asthma affected my life without my permission. My other friends appeared in moments of boredom, conjured up in my juvenile mind to fill momentary voids, to provide entertainment or an outlet for wayward emotions. But Asthma was different. He came as he pleased.
Early in life, he wasn’t a burden. He was just there. As I got older however, he bore under my skin like a guest that overstayed their welcome years after he was supposed to leave. Asthma became bossy or maybe I just became more aware. He insisted that I stay inside when it was cold. He hated when I ran and screamed until I stood still. I was an active child with an imagination that often swept me away for days at a time. But Asthma was lonely, he never wanted to be left out of my adventures.
Reluctantly, I brought him along (not by choice but what I deemed moral obligation.) Most of the time, he kept to himself but sometimes he would demand my attention. Asthma hated soccer. He was alright with t-ball, as long as I didn’t hit more than a double. He also hated swimming but that is where I drew the line. I was doing it with or without his permission. At night when the air turned cold, I paid the price for my disobedience.
My imaginary friends changed as I grew up. Some left. Others morphed into more age appropriate beings and soon they became characters in a never ending array of stories that play in my mind. Even Asthma changed. He was still bossy and would throw tantrums if I didn’t do things his way but for a span of about ten years, he took a nap. I was just fine with that. My life unfolded out before me full of possibility and adventure and I didn’t need a tag-along.
Then one day he woke up, cranky and fully of penned up energy ready to explode into my life. Unlike the other imaginary friends of my childhood that gracefully transformed into the souls of written characters on page, Asthma had only grow up into a moody, forceful version of himself. And I was no longer a child willing to accommodate a friend that wasn’t a friend at all.
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