The power of the Unicorn

"Why do you still believe in Unicorns? Aren't you a bit too old for all of that?" He asked.

I knew that he was just trying to get me out of my own self-deception and he meant well. But his question felt as if he was trying to unplug me from a life-support machine.

"Because if I don't... I don't see why would I even care about keeping on breathing anymore" I said with a trembling voice and I poured myself a bit more of that cheap red wine that was tinting the white plastic cup.

"I don't understand... You KNOW that they aren't real... You are a rational scientist, it doesn't make any sense..." He said and then looked away again to the infinity of the sea.

I was starting to get annoyed... Perhaps not as much at him as I was starting to get mad at myself. The bucolic idea of going to the seafront to watch the sunset in March didn't turn out to be as good as it seemed in my mind. It was cold and windy and, sitting down on the wet pebbles was very inconvenient.


I had no energy left in me that day after receiving that awful phone call, but I felt that I needed to give him "the speech". He was also probably my favourite person at the office, so I made the effort and stood up. I think that deep down, I was the one in need of convincing myself of my own beliefs.

"Ok, here we go..." I said and I positioned myself in front of him. I cleared my throat and moved my arms around. I was getting ready for my improvised lecture on "The power of the Unicorn 101".

Quick drawing painted with highlighters from 2012.

"I believe in Unicorns because I need to believe that there is something else, something special, some magic in the world... Something that is beautiful and pointless, something that is impractical and that has no meaning but that it gives meaning to everything around... I believe in Unicorns because the simple act of living doesn't make any sense... Why are we here? Why do we live and breathe? Why do we even exist?... I need to believe in something, we all do... Even if it is irrational and contradicts everything that I have seen or experienced... Even if it is absurd and stupid... I suspend my rational and scientific judgement with Unicorns because if I start questioning their existence it is likely that my own existence might lose its meaning... So, I consciously leave this one go... I let this only irrational belief in my mind... just this one..." I said and then downed my glass of wine, took a deep breath and, got ready to continue.

"I believe in Unicorns because if I stop believing in that magic sparkling glitter that makes everything all right I will get drained in my lonely and mundane everyday existence... and I want to believe that for just a moment, even if it is just a second, I can connect with someone... that I'm not alone in this world, that I can share a little magical moment of happiness with someone, that I am being understood by someone... That someone CAN actually love me... even if it is only for one night... So yes, I am a believer even if it is irrational and silly... I DO believe in Unicorns".

He remained silent for a few seconds and said:

"We were not talking about Unicorns, were we?"

March 2016. Sunset at the Brighton seafront.