Ever since I first heard of them, I’ve dreamt of doing a flash mob. How cool would that be?! Invite your friend to the mall, only to suddenly step away and join a chorus of other hot dancers, poppin’ it and lockin’ it. My heart beats faster just thinking of it.
Until then, I’ve run across a novel idea: a writing flash mob which takes place every Friday. To be honest, it felt a little “out of my league” and “big-time.” So, I’ve hemmed and hawed, eyeing the instructions and other bloggers who participate for weeks, and silently watching from the sidelines. Until…today: (I think) I’m all in. If I don’t do it this second, I think I’ll never do it. I’m diving in for two reasons: 1. to get more connected with the larger community of bloggers (aka I don’t wanna feel alone!) and 2. to field a kick in the butt to practice writing regularly and consistently.
The marching orders: Write on the word prompt for 5 minutes flat. No extreme-editing: “Unscripted. Unedited. Real.” The idea is to get past our perfectionism and just. do. it.
When I think of “graceful” I think of dancing…as in ballerinas. The thing is, I cannot relate to this type of dancing at all, therefore I feel there’s a steep bridge I must cross before I can reach graceful as well. Growing up, my mom offered for me to take dancing many times. I always quickly said “no”–must have felt confident it wasn’t for me. Somewhere, deep inside, my inner dancer knew I was destined for hip-hop moves and cheerleading dances. In my opinion, when it comes to dancing: ballerinas = graceful; fly girls = perfection.
My life lately has felt anything but graceful. Feels more like dancing, falling down, brushing myself off, sitting on the edges of the studio for a while and getting back up only when I feel like it. I’m reminded, though, graceful isn’t so much a state of how we look on the outside as much as how I live on the inside. Isn’t anything that’s important, anything that’s eternal represented in the inner sanctum, the unseen? Today I can’t say I look graceful. May be don’t even exude grace from the inside. Interestingly enough, doing this for the first time, leaping off the cliff, it just makes me feel brave.
Ding, ding goes the timer.
Thanks for showing up here to read and allow me to improve my craft. Head over to Lisa-Jo’s (hostess of these beautiful mobsters) for your own five minutes to read, write, or share a word of encouragement.
Photo credit: quinn.anya Creative Commons
But that's enough about me…what about you?
Imagine me in my best cheerleading voice, chanting: "When I say 'graceful' you say....?"
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