Well, October just flew by didn’t it? I probably feel that way because I had a lovely break at the start of this month, so I had to squish some work into the remaining weeks. It’s been a month of connection, that’s for sure. Lots of meetings, dinners and talking which has been pretty wonderful.
Now though, it’s my favourite time of the month - the time I get to let go of all the rules and let my imagination run wild. It’s time for another monthly mindscape, a short piece of fiction prompted by a found image on Instagram.
This month’s image comes from Lizzy Harley (@songofthestitch). Now I actually first met Lizzy way back in my early blogging days, when I went to my very first blogger event which must have been 2008 or 2009?
Lizzy was approachable and made me feel totally at ease and I was thrilled when I bumped into her again many years later at Blogtacular, and she made me feel exactly the same. Since then, every time we met we’ve had big conversations and it always feels nourishing - it’s just incredibly nice to spend time with someone who ‘gets it’.
This image stopped me in my tracks when I started looking for this month’s prompt. And as dramatic and powerful as the image was, it was her caption that hit me hardest. Please do read, it shines a light of the difficult relationship we can have with the word ‘activist’ and why Lizzy is reclaiming it.
My piece of fiction will no doubt pale in comparison in terms of power and truth, but it was an image I couldn’t ignore.
Storm
A storm is coming, she thought silently to herself. Stood on the black sand beach, looking out, she could see the storm clouds forming in the distance. The waves began to crash with more force as the wind picked up speed.
As she closed her eyes, she noticed the sea spray hitting her face. Licking her lips she could taste the sea’s fury.
She breathed in time with the wave breaks and thought about the storm brewing in her own life. She had always played the role of the ‘good girl’ in her story. She would smile, nod and bite her tongue. She was quiet, calm, a delightful summer’s day. She didn’t ruffle feathers or shake anything up.
But something inside her was shifting. Instead of shutting off the news, she began to watch. Instead of staying in her social media bubble, she was breaking out. She was starting to hear other points of view, other voices, other experiences.
And it was making her angry. Angry at the injustice, the broken systems, but mostly, angry at herself for being blind to it for so long.
At first she allowed tears to fall quickly and without question. But soon she understood that her tears didn’t matter. Her tears wouldn’t change anything, they wouldn’t make anything better. What she needed was action.
She needed to unlearn what she thought she knew. She needed to arrange the molecules of her being differently. She needed the anger growing in her belly to propel her into action. She needed to find her voice and use it to raise others.
In the distance the thunder began to rumble. She opened her eyes and stared into the storm with a quiet, but powerful knowing. “I’m with you” she said.
Can you relate with this month’s character? More storms are needed right now and I can only hope that this is something I can improve on. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this month’s story as always, feel free to leave a comment here or get in touch over on Instagram.
Next week’s podcast episode will be all about how to find your motivation to practice self-care (search for ‘Seedling’ wherever you get your podcasts). I’ll be back with another blog next Sunday, where I’ll be sharing some SEO tips for my fellow bloggers. Until then, I hope you have a wonderful week.
– Instagram – Twitter – Facebook – Pinterest –
Save for later:
Yes, October flew by. I blinked and it was gone. I notice that more as I gain in years. Time passes more quickly. I’m aware, also, that I don’t take full notice of that fact. A lovely story, inspired by a fantastic picture, and yes, I enjoyed Lizzy’s word on activism. Thank you for sharing.
Could not agree more, time really does move quicker as we get older! Thank you, her caption was brilliant wasn’t it, so glad you enjoyed the story ❤️