Once in awhile on Friday afternoons, if I’ve already prepped the toppings for our weekly family pizza night, I join a virtual writing group (shout out to Megan Cole at PR Public Library for facilitating!)
The point of the group is to do a free-write. Megan gives us a prompt, we write for 20 minutes and then take turns sharing. We offer gentle feedback. The point is not to come up with a polished piece, but simply to write. To enjoy and encourage each other in the process.
Here is one of my short pieces from the group. The prompt was to incorporate one of a variety of items. I chose see-saw and hammock.
Pros. Cons.
For. Against.
Yes. No.
Up. Down.
Her life had been like that for several months:
Too much sleep. Wandering at 3 a.m.
Gorging on snacks. Spiritual fasting.
Long runs through her neighbourhood. Longer stretches on the couch.
Middle-aged females do not function properly, or for long, in these conditions.
It’s thought that age brings steadfastness and wisdom, and perhaps, resilience.
But it is the young who are hearty, staying up all night, then working a full-shift the next day.
No, her life hung in balance.
She sought rest and work in equal proportions.
She sought to linger over her coffee, rather than drink it at a traffic light.
She sought to read the book of her life properly, not simply flit through its pages like it was a cheap magazine.
What she sought was a life more like a hammock then a seesaw.