“What’s stopping you from being ungovernable?” V asked me on one of our many nights spent doing assignments that really should have been completed a long time ago.
“The rules, V. I have to follow them to accomplish my dreams.”
“What would happen if you didn’t have to follow the rules?” She pressed.
And in ways I didn’t expect, my mind to, it spiraled. The tattoos, multiple piercings, disregard for respectability politics, and to be honest it sounded like a dream. It sounded a lot like me chasing my bag with me as my biggest priority. I sighed and smiled I think I had found my reply.
“V, I’m a writer. I don’t have to be governable there.”
That felt like a perfect answer. It said, “look at me. I’m not afraid. I am ungovernable!” Was it the wholesome truth? No. But I am often inspired by the feminist movement, and the great work it has been able to do from acquiring women the right to vote, to the liberation of women and their rights. For ages, women were sidelined or simply wiped out of stories. They were governed by the rules set for them by the patriarchy. This is why men are so comfortable telling us how to act and dress and live. Lucky for us, past feminists imagined a world where we were freer and now, in many ways we are. Imagination is rebellion because you start to see outside of what you have been taught.
I reflect on this specific back and forth with V often when I’m trying to make decisions but especially when I write. A common saying often repeated to me was “You have to dream up a universe before you can move into it” A lot of us are unable to be ungovernable in the spaces in which we exist but on paper, we can be. We manage not to ruffle any feathers or change status-quos in real life but we can mold our characters into whatever or whoever we want them to be. But let’s face it. It’s not always easy to let your imagination run wild in areas where these same imaginations have been cut short because of your editor or the fact that it doesn’t quite fit into the trending issues. Truth is creating your universe and having it rejected on any grounds hurts but it doesn’t make your voice or opinion any less valid. The wonderful and beautiful power of imagination is that you can imagine yourself into new spaces. Whether it’s reading a new book and letting your mind create up the scenes how it wants or trying to imagine solutions for everyday problems, you won’t ever feel down while using your mind for this. So I’ll ask you today, why are you trying to cap your imagination? What’s stopping you from being ungovernable? And really what’s the worst that could happen?
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