You put one foot in front of the other as the seconds tick by, closer does the time get to the bell. Something akin to monotonous dread weighs in your bones. A door opens; you wave one last goodbye, and step in.

Yet, the room isn’t soul-crushing. Light floods in from the ceiling to wall windows and prismatic images dance across the reflective glass. These openings in the room’s confines are reminiscent of skylights in fancifully vaulted ceilings, of magical gates to dreamy worlds. As the sun skips across desks to faces, a weight dissipates and your mind shrugs off the last chains of sleepiness.

Though we aren’t here by choice, forced attendance has become more inviting with the installment of clear panes of glass. The instructor seems less monstrous, and the work, less torturous. Chatter rises and falls in tempo with the wind blowing a few steps away. Even, the chill of stormy rain possesses a strange charm, mesmerizing eyes that wander to look.

The bell cries its shrill shriek; papers flutter in restless rustles; and students begin to calm the crazy. A daunting task is assigned and collective groans echo across the room. You are no exception, but a bird outside catches your fancy. The little creature’s simple existence reminds you that everything will be okay; trying your best is enough at this point. Smiling, you turn from the window back to the formidable obstacle in front of you, now less horrendous. Perhaps the sun outside is melting the room’s icy elephant.

Humans need nature in adverse times, even for miniscule problems. While the earth warmly reminds your mind, the penultimate task is finished, and completion’s impending. An appetizer of the freedom bequeathed to you at the bell’s last dying scream, the windows diligently give everyone an ambience where they feel unrestricted and uncensored.

You ponder the instructor’s past, antebellum windows. You’re thankful that you’ll never need to revive past demons. As the days go by and the mercurial weather shifts from joyous to melancholy, you too change your behaviorisms and ideologies. But always remaining aware of the larger world, not your own microcosm of the universe, as the windows entertain minds willing to see the vibrant beauty outside.