diff --git a/examples/direct.zig b/examples/direct.zig
index 329aa5b..817a2e4 100644
--- a/examples/direct.zig
+++ b/examples/direct.zig
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ pub fn main() !void {
     defer renderer.deinit();
 
     var container: App.Container = try .init(gpa, .{
+        .border = .{
+            .sides = .all,
+        },
         .layout = .{
             .direction = .horizontal,
             .separator = .{ .enabled = true },
@@ -30,10 +33,58 @@ pub fn main() !void {
         .rectangle = .{ .fill = .green },
     }, .{}));
 
-    container.resize(&app.model, try renderer.resize());
-    container.reposition(&app.model, .{});
-    try renderer.render(@TypeOf(container), &container, App.Model, &app.model);
-    try renderer.flush();
+    try app.start(); // needs to become configurable, as what should be enabled / disabled (i.e. show cursor, hide cursor, use alternate screen, etc.)
+    defer app.stop() catch |err| log.err("Failed to stop application: {any}", .{err});
+
+    // event loop
+    event: while (true) {
+        // batch events since last iteration
+        const len = blk: {
+            app.queue.poll();
+            app.queue.lock();
+            defer app.queue.unlock();
+            break :blk app.queue.len();
+        };
+
+        // handle events
+        for (0..len) |_| {
+            const event = app.queue.pop();
+            //log.debug("received event: {s}", .{@tagName(event)});
+
+            // pre event handling
+            switch (event) {
+                // NOTE maybe I want to decouple the `key`s from the user input too? i.e. this only makes sense if the output is not echoed!
+                // otherwise just use gnu's `readline`?
+                .key => |key| {
+                    if (key.eql(.{ .cp = 'c', .mod = .{ .ctrl = true } })) app.quit();
+                },
+                // NOTE errors could be displayed in another container in case one was received, etc. to provide the user with feedback
+                .err => |err| log.err("Received {s} with message: {s}", .{ @errorName(err.err), err.msg }),
+                else => {},
+            }
+
+            // NOTE returned errors should be propagated back to the application
+            container.handle(&app.model, event) catch |err| app.postEvent(.{
+                .err = .{
+                    .err = err,
+                    .msg = "Container Event handling failed",
+                },
+            });
+
+            // post event handling
+            switch (event) {
+                .quit => break :event,
+                else => {},
+            }
+        }
+        // if there are more events to process continue handling them otherwise I can render the next frame
+        if (app.queue.len() > 0) continue :event;
+
+        container.resize(&app.model, try renderer.resize());
+        container.reposition(&app.model, .{});
+        try renderer.render(@TypeOf(container), &container, App.Model, &app.model);
+        try renderer.flush();
+    }
 }
 
 pub const panic = App.panic_handler;
diff --git a/src/app.zig b/src/app.zig
index 92e9eae..d79db80 100644
--- a/src/app.zig
+++ b/src/app.zig
@@ -71,21 +71,21 @@ pub fn App(comptime M: type, comptime E: type) type {
             this.quit_event.reset();
             this.thread = try Thread.spawn(.{}, @This().run, .{this});
 
-            var termios: posix.termios = undefined;
-            try terminal.enableRawMode(&termios);
-            if (this.termios) |_| {} else this.termios = termios;
+            //var termios: posix.termios = undefined;
+            //try terminal.enableRawMode(&termios);
+            //if (this.termios) |_| {} else this.termios = termios;
 
-            try terminal.enterAltScreen();
-            try terminal.saveScreen();
-            try terminal.hideCursor();
-            try terminal.enableMouseSupport();
+            //try terminal.enterAltScreen();
+            //try terminal.saveScreen();
+            //try terminal.hideCursor();
+            //try terminal.enableMouseSupport();
         }
 
         pub fn interrupt(this: *@This()) !void {
             this.quit_event.set();
-            try terminal.disableMouseSupport();
-            try terminal.restoreScreen();
-            try terminal.exitAltScreen();
+            //try terminal.disableMouseSupport();
+            //try terminal.restoreScreen();
+            //try terminal.exitAltScreen();
             if (this.thread) |*thread| {
                 thread.join();
                 this.thread = null;