I thought it might be nice for people to share stories of moments or experiences where they really experienced a rush of power and strength. Maybe reading about empowering experiences, or telling our own, will call up some strength. I'll tell one from my childhood, then add another thought.
Early childhood: My brother terrorized and bullied me for years. My parents were uber-religious and extremely proper, so I never heard any cursing whatsoever. Not a single word! The religious thing was so iintense in my childhood, the ideas of damnation, not taking the Lord's name in vain, the evil potential in some words and ideas...all made a very big impression on me. One summer evening when I was about six, my brother and I were playing out in the back yard. He was twisting my arm, sticking his face into mine, glaring, intimidating me with his stare, muttering threats, etc. For some reason, I felt fed up. I remember looking down the slope and seeing my mother at the kitchen sink, in a yellow pool of light, but feeling completely cut off from safety. I usually cowered, looked away, and just tried to persuade him to stop hurting me. This time, unexpectedly, I looked straight in his eyes and said, "Go to hell." (Understand, back in '56, and in my family and my own life, this was a shocking thing to do.) What happened next stunned me. My brother's face fell in shock, he went flying into the house, and I saw him by the sink, heard him bleating to my mother, furious and indignant, "My sister just told me to GO TO!" (That was little kids' euphemism for saying go-to-hell, so they could imply it without speaking the wicked H-word). Anyway, I will never forget how I felt, standing there looking down at the house. I remember my exact thought: I am not afraid of words! And he is. Took many years to be free of him, but that moment that showed me a part of myself that was stronger, braver...planted an important seed. In work, in many other situations, I have been put down and sort of "driven over"...often not allowed to make full use of my abilities, while watching a man get promoted or respected. Or abusive in one way or another. But in that one area, writing, I am not intimidated...and I am grateful. Maybe it all started that night?
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The other thought:
Some women I know have invited me to take a self-defense class for women. I fear my slipped disk could get injured so may not be able to, but I was inspired by how my friend described it:
It was partly about physical techniques, but what struck me most was she talked about how the instructor guided all the students to learn to take a threatening physical stance and bellow NO! from the absolute depths of their being (and diaphragm). She is a graceful, small, softspoken woman. She stood up and showed us, and he, the powerful shout, the depth of her voice sounding like it came from someone else, really awed me.
Just made me realize that even if one doesn't feel threatened by anyone, a women's self-defense class would not only be practical, but as she said, enormously empowering, emotonally. She has felt different ever since. (Nothing to do with anger at men, either...she just now feels like a STRONG woman.)
I thought I'd share that idea...there might be people on this board who haven't thought of taking a class like that, but might find it helpful?
Hops
