Quiet Corners: Where Life Still Happens

The world doesn’t need to see everything you love. It’s enough that you do.

‍

Everyone seems to be unboxing something these days. Phones, shoes, gifts, homes, lives. There’s always someone peeling back tape, unwrapping paper, revealing something new to the camera. It’s great and all — I mean, who doesn’t love a surprise or a bit of joy? — but I hope you remember this: you haven’t failed, and you’re not living a lesser life just because you aren’t unboxing something.

‍

Take me, for example. I scroll through social media like anyone else, watching people open their packages and step into new phases of life. Birthdays, housewarmings, engagements, weddings, moving days, even back-to-school seasons — there’s always an occasion. Everyone seems to have a reason to unbox something and show the world they’re living the life. The rooms are spotless, the hands are steady, the smiles are soft and rehearsed. Everything looks right. Stainless. Effortless.

‍

And yet, as I watch, I often have to remind myself: this is not the full picture. What we see are fragments — moments chosen and edited to tell a story that feels whole. The unboxing is just a clip, a window trimmed of clutter, anxiety, or ordinary mess. We see the reveal, not the reality.

‍

Sometimes I wonder what it must feel like to live with that constant need to share. To measure a moment by its ability to impress, rather than to be felt. And sometimes, I admit, I feel the pull too — that small whisper that says, “Maybe you should post something. Show them you’re doing fine.” It’s a quiet insecurity, the kind that hides behind scrolling thumbs and half-smiles.

‍

But I’ve learned to pause there. To ask myself, “If no one ever saw this, would I still want to do it?” That question pulls me back to something more grounded — a kind of personal honesty. Because truthfully, I don’t need to broadcast joy to make it real. Some of life’s best moments are meant to be lived, not shared.

‍

I am in a season of my life where I have a lot to share with the world. But at the same time, I have chosen to stick to a small group of people for now. People who can stand with me and strengthen me through these seasons, people I can share all the excitement and heartbreaks with and be assured that they'd sit with me in that corner, quiet and lovingly.

‍

Someday the world might get all the happenings but till then, I hope everyone enjoys the news while I remain selfish.

‍

But don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with unboxing. Some people genuinely enjoy it — the sound, the aesthetics, the sense of participation. For creators, it’s a craft, a livelihood, a digital ritual of giving and receiving. But for those of us who live more quietly, who find meaning in the unfilmed moments — the late-night tea, the small errands, the silence of an early morning, a trip to a bookstore or library, the joy of buying a new book, or finding a podcast that feels personal — we shouldn’t feel like we’re missing out. A quiet life is still a rich one. Just because it isn’t on display doesn’t mean it lacks color.

‍

While everyone else seems to be unboxing, maybe it’s okay to unplug instead. To set the gadget down, step outside, and notice the small textures of your own world — the way sunlight hits your desk, the sound of your own footsteps, the slow breath that tells you you’re still here. Take a walk. Take a shower — cold or hot. Let yourself exist without needing to post about it.

‍

You owe yourself that much. You owe yourself the freedom to live a story that doesn’t need to be recorded to be remembered. And even if you do record moments to capture time, consider keeping it for yourself - unwrap it in a few years.

‍

Because the unboxing video isn’t the full story, it’s just the highlight reel — the clean, curated frame before the next box arrives. The real story, the one that matters, happens when the camera’s off, when no one’s watching, when it’s just you and your life — unfiltered, unfinished, unboxed.

‍

Live that story.

Till I write you again, Obiagu.✌🏾

‍