Calum Mc Call: From a colourful world to a colourless one

The innocence of children is, obviously, related to the amazement that simple things provoke on them. A bright blue sky or an afternoon sun are enough to make them enter an imaginary world where colours and shapes mix together giving life to the most unbelievable characters.

In the days of his youth, all the colours Calum has known as a small child disappear. He is growing up and losing his dreams as well. And when he tries asking his parents why everything that sorrounds him seems to be different, "elbows off the tables" and "sit up straight" are the answers he receives.

This amazement seems to reappear when Calum falls in love: certainly all or at least most of us experience the same feeling. I consider being in love the return of innocence: everything seems to be new and wonderful. You feel as if you were flying and treasure every moment as if it were the happiest of your life.

But when Calum's heart is broken, the amazement disappears again as well as colours and hope itself. Many of us may have experienced the same, feeling that one's whole world collapses and it is replaced by a black place that knows no end and where we cannot escape from. Sometimes we recovered, but some others we go on being afraid to fall in love again.


Years later, when his own son points to the sky and gurgles with pleasure, Calum can see nothing amazing, though, I think, his memory reminds him there is something he has lost: the ability to enjoy simple things.



His dreams are decolourized. Colours have no place in Calum's life anymore, responsabilities have taken over. Now, getting up early to reach boundless ambitions is all what matters.






After I read "The Colourful Life of Calum McCall", many questions arose, but there is one in particular which I would like you to (try to) answer:

Are we all eventually going to live in a colourless world?