I looked at the photograph, put my pen to paper and wrote without stopping for ten minutes. The photograph is long gone, but the words remained tucked in an old journal:
What a contrast! A woman, dressed to the hilt in a long dress and pantaloons, hair done up in the latest fashion, shoes pointed for fashion over comfort, with her groomed little doggie in tow, sitting delicately on a wild horse.
The horse is bucking for all she’s worth trying to tear down some of the women’s pretenses. To make her hair-do fall, shoes drop off, lace tear.
But the amazing thing is that the woman is not only allowing it, she’s enjoying it!
What freedom—to take the best from both worlds. To be willing to let loose and risk letting go of the image you’ve work so hard to develop.
That freedom is beyond me now.
The dog seems concerned that his mistress is off on a wild escapade. Does he fear she’s lost her mind? Does he fear that she will desert him? There often seem to be people nipping at our heels when we want to break loose.
Am I like the little dog? Am I pulling others back from experiencing all sides of life?
Or am I like the horse, playfully bucking the system? Maybe sometimes the bucking is not so playful…
Or like the woman willing to play dress-up but also eager to let loose, even if that’s only on the inside of me now?
The ride of their lives.
What is the ride of my life?1
Over the years, timed writings have opened amazing doors of creativity for me. Things have emerged that I’d never considered before or from perspectives that shed new light on some aspect of my life. Sometimes I write from a written prompt, such as “When the horse started bucking.” Sometimes from a photograph. When I’ve been stuck with my writing or just want to play, putting pen to paper and writing for 3 or 10 minutes without stopping has been one of the most fascinating tools I’ve used to reach intuitive knowing that is hidden somewhere deep within.
Pick up your pen and give it a whirl.
1 From my book Big Topics at Midnight: A Texas Girl Wakes Up to Race, Class, Gender and Herself page 105-106.
Illustration by Khara Scott-Bey from Big Topics at Midnight