Seeking Privacy

What is the point of being exclusive? Is it to be mean or uninviting? Maybe. Is it to create a sense of intrigue? Perhaps. Or is it because being somewhere private can sometimes be very comforting? Likely.

Sometimes the reason for exclusivity is the need for privacy rather than just the desire for it. Perhaps it is to hide a political secret or to protect something sacred. There are a number of places in the world that are completely forbidden to enter, including:

1. Vatican secret archives.

Despite their name, the Vatican Archives are actually not secret. Any document can be viewed, but request forms must be submitted and the document will be delivered to the interested party. No one is allowed to enter the archives. Documents less than seventy-five years years old aren't available for vieweing- to protect diplomatic and governmental information. For an idea of what it looks like, imagine 84 km of shelving and 35,000 volumes in the selective catalogue alone.

2. Moscow Metro-2.

Metro-2 in Moscow is a secret underground metro system that was built during the reign of Stalin and parallels the city's public metro. It is believed to connect the Kremlin with the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation and the government airport, as well as some other locations. The existence of the metro however, has never been officially confirmed.

3. Ise Grand Shrine.

Located in Japan, this series of over 100 shrines are considered the most scared in the country. The shrine has been in existence since 4BC and is dedicated the the Sun goddess Amaterasu. Interestingly, the shrine is destroyed and rebuilt every twenty years as a symbol of death and rebirth. Only the priest or priestess can enter the shrine and they must be a member of the Japanese imperial family.

Privacy is something that we all long for, but so rarely get. We are all subject to the opinions, thoughts, and criticism of the people and chaos that surrounds us. But then there are those few moments, those rare times when we have privacy, peace and quiet. It could be as small as coming home at the end of a long day, locking your door, kicking off your shoes, and soaking in your tub. It could be the luxury of flying on a private plane, without the headaches of screaming babies or the intrusion of touchy-feely security guards. It could be standing on the rooftop bar of a sleek skyscraper at a private party and feeling that you are on top of the world, living the life. Or it could be floating through infinite skies in a hot air balloon with the person you love. Privacy is priceless.


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