Friday, September 17, 2010

The Friday Challenge

First imagine that you are twelve years old. How did you see the world and your place in it? Were you an empowered wild womanette or manette? Or were you one of those kids who tried to blend into the woodwork so teachers wouldn't call out your name? Did your inside match your outside?  Were you a dreamer or an action figure? What were your dreams, your aspirations - your secret longings? (never mind the sexual ones right now- we can just assume they were there) Did you want to be a writer? An artist? An astronaut or bank manager? Let's just assume that even if it wasn't out there in the world, you harboured a desire to write, or to at least have written. I know I did. I also wanted to be a veterinarian but that hasn't stuck. I do know that 12 year old girls could easily rule the world. They could start circuses, host world leaders in debate and take on global warming while still managing to keep their parents and other assorted adults in line. All of them! Now, I think with boys it is 9 yr. olds but I haven't finished my work on this yet. Usually girls mature earlier but not apparently in the realm where power and dreams collide. So whatever gender you self-identify as - go to that age. Now, for your challenge, I want you to write yourself a letter. Muster all the memories and feelings you can from that younger self and give it to the adult you. Tell the adult you how you think it is all panning out - what is going right and what is not. Remind the older you of the dreams you had and suggest that they can be free to give some of them up but the ones removed must give their energy to the ones that remain or newer ones that have popped up over the years. Remember that the younger you will be glad to have a soapbox to stand on - thrilled to be given this opportunity to let the adult hear their squeeky little or big voices proclaim on what works for them and what doesn't.
OK - pitter patter let's fly atter!

4 comments:

Carol Kilgore said...

I was definitely a late bloomer. At 12 I was a mess. I think with what you're describing, it didn't all come together for me until about 17. Now I'll go write the letter :)

Hart Johnson said...

I was so completely boy crazy at 12, I'm not sure any other component of me existed! I wanted to be a CHEERLEADER. I wanted to be POPULAR. MAN, how shallow I was. I don't know if that was my small town, or my sheltered parent, or some innate late maturer... I will have to think about that. I really WANT to find some wisdom in that girl, but at the moment, I don't feel very hopeful.

Jan Morrison said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Faith Pray said...

Good encouragement, Jan! I will dig down for my twelve year-old self. She wasn't distracted by schedule, housework, word counts. She wasn't afraid to dress up and reenact favorite books, and she wrote because she loved to write.