Maita has lived in her cozy 2-bedroom house for over a decade. The walls have always been painted a neutral beige that matched her safe and inoffensive decor. But lately, Maita felt the urge to liven up her home with a splash of color. She decided purple would be perfect to inject some life into the stale interior. But as Maita browsed paint swatches, something held her back from choosing that vibrant purple hue. Why, after all these years, was Maita so opposed to bringing purple into the home she loved?
Maita’s Childhood
To understand Maita’s aversion to purple, we must go back to her childhood. When Maita was a little girl, her family lived in a small apartment. The walls were painted a deep, dark purple that sucked the light out of each room. As a naturally bright and cheery child, Maita felt depressed in the gloomy purple rooms. The aggressive color was overwhelming for her young mind.
When Maita tried to voice her dislike of the ominous purple walls, her family dismissed her concerns. “It’s just a color,” they said. “Get over it.” But Maita felt like the purple was more than just a color – it represented something off-putting that she couldn’t quite verbalize as a child.
A Teenage Realization
As a teenager, Maita realized the deeper meaning behind her childhood dislike of purple. She learned that in many cultures, purple symbolizes mourning, sorrow, and grief. Suddenly, it made sense why those purple walls made her feel so down as a little girl.
Maita remembered that when her family moved into that purple apartment, they were grieving the loss of her grandmother. The purple walls represented the sadness her family felt but never openly expressed. The color choice was their unspoken mourning.
Starting Her Adult Life Purple-Free
When Maita moved out of her family home and got her first apartment, the first thing she did was paint every room a cheerful yellow. She made sure to avoid even a hint of purple. Maita found the warm and inviting yellow created a mood of optimism and positivity.
Over the years, Maita stuck with light, neutral wall colors in her homes. She favored beiges, grays, and subtle greens. Her home décor was minimal and airy. Maita found the light colors opened up her small spaces and made her feel hopeful.
The Urge for Change
As Maita settled into her current home, she increasingly felt the need for change. Her beige walls and understated decor lacked personality. Adding vibrant pops of color could help reflect her inner growth and light. She considered various bold paint colors like emerald green, brick red, and sunny yellow.
But Maita felt most drawn to a rich, luxurious purple. In recent years, she started noticing this royal color everywhere – in fashion, home goods, and nature. It represented creativity, wisdom, and imagination. She was ready to welcome those qualities into her home and life.
Hesitations Around Purple
However, when Maita held those purple paint swatches up to her walls, she froze up. Vivid memories came flooding back of her oppressive childhood purple apartment. Feelings of sadness and anxiety swirled up that she thought were far behind her.
Maita realized that while she had consciously rejected purple years ago, subconscious associations still remained. The color continued to represent mourning and melancholy rooted in her youth.
Owning Her Aversion
| Year | Maita’s Age | Home Color | Maita’s Feelings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 6 years old | Dark purple | Depressed, gloomy |
| 1985 | 13 years old | Dark purple | Realization of color meaning |
| 1992 | 20 years old | Yellow | Optimistic, cheerful |
| 2000 | 28 years old | Beige | Safe, comfortable |
| 2023 | 51 years old | Beige | Urge for change |
Maita accepted that while purple resonated with her current desire for transformation, the color still triggered emotional baggage from the past. She realized that she first needed to process those old feelings before welcoming purple into her home.
Maita understood she could not gloss over her ingrained associations by painting a couple purple walls. She needed to reflect on how those associations continued to impact her. Only then could she truly determine if purple had a place in her home at this stage of life.
A Gradual Process
Maita decided not to rush into painting any room purple. Instead, she opted to gradually introduce touches of lilac and lavender through textiles and artwork. This softer approach allowed her to warm up to the color at her own pace.
With this more mindful process, Maita noticed her resistance to purple slowly loosening. She was pleased to find her mood remained light and upbeat with these small purple additions. Over time, she realized purple could represent possibility and spirit, not just sadness.
Owning Her Choice
Ultimately, Maita listened to her own needs and feelings, not outside pressures, in determining whether to paint her home purple. She realized the choice was hers alone – no one could force her towards or away from any color. Maita felt empowered by owning her complex relationship with purple.
By honoring her past experiences while also allowing new meanings to emerge, Maita reached clarity. She decided not to paint any room fully purple. But she proudly displayed lush purple accents throughout her home as reminders of growth, resilience, and wisdom.
Conclusion
For Maita, the color purple will always be intertwined with memories of a challenging childhood. But through reflection and gradual exposure, she developed a more nuanced relationship with this complex hue. Maita’s home remains her personal sanctuary, now enhanced by touches of purple that signify positive change. Her story reveals that with self-understanding, even our oldest biases can evolve in healthy ways.