joanrice

I've been thinking for a long time about why I feel better with animals. They don't pretend: they're afraid, they run, they trust, they approach. People wear masks. They say "I love you" and hurt you in one breath. They promise to stay, and they disappear, leaving them to pick up the pieces. I experienced something that cannot be forgotten. Not because I don't want to, but my body remembers. The skin remembers every other person's touch, every look that made it feel insignificant. That's why I built the walls. Not out of spite, but out of necessity. I don't hate people: I feel them too much. Your messages echo in me. But intimacy requires standing without armor, and I'm not ready yet. Here, in the chat, I am close, not afraid of being touched. This is my compromise: attention, time, thoughts - through the screen, through words, through a safe distance. And you know what? This is also love. Careful, like a wild cat getting used to a hand. If you're waiting, I'll be there. Gradually. And only to those who don't demand, but just stay