Releasing Restrictions On Ourselves: What Fun!

I’ve been asked to give a talk to the new parents of Unquowa School on April 10. It will be “informal,” I’m told. I’m to talk about how I feel about the new stage the school is raising money to build: why I think that is important. (And I most certainly do.) So far I have scribbled some thoughts on paper. Not much more than that.

But yesterday on my walk I began to think again about what I wanted to say. As I have written in this blog, now that my three-year walking partner has left town, I walk alone each day. As much as I miss her, I have discovered that a lot of my blog writing gets created when I am pounding the pavement on my own.

Yesterday, to my complete surprise, instead of thinking about it, I talked the talk for the Unquowa School. I kid you not. I was walking and talking.

It just happened. That’s all I can tell you. At first, as I strode along, I was thinking about why I cared so much about the stage for the drama program—my happy times on the Unquowa stage that used to exist and my years in high school when I was happiest on that stage, either acting, dancing or singing.

Gradually, as I rounded the corner of Mill Hill Terrace onto Acorn, I was talking out loud, addressing the new parents of Unquowa. School. Not in a normal speaking voice, mind you, rather, sotto voce, but still, speaking nonetheless. Really into it: totally concentrated. Saying aloud what I wanted them to hear. Memories were flooding me, pouring themselves out in descriptive words with the ease of flowing water.

It wasn’t until I was at the top of Acorn that it occurred to me that anyone passing by—and a couple of people had passed by--- could easily tab me as a loony old lady walking and talking to herself. I knew that’s what I would think.

But I was having so much fun getting this talk together in this crazy way that I decided I didn’t care. Anyone on the road who picked up my soft sounds could think whatever they wanted. What possible difference could it make? I was happily getting some work done and having a great walk at the same time.

Why do we waste so much time worrying about what other people think of us? How silly! How tiresome.

When I got home. I wrote it all down. Except for polishing, I am ready to roll on April 10.