Just Do It.

Picture this:

The sand crunched satisfyingly beneath her toes as the young girl prepared to push off. She perched precariously on the edge of the swing, her tiny hands curled around the chains with enough intensity to turn the knuckles white, her face the picture of concentration. For a minute she held her breath, excitement palpable, and then she pushed off. Higher and higher she swung, her hay-coloured hair whipping about her like a cape. An exultant grin lit her face as the swing reached a height at which she could just peak over the tops of the houses down the street. One final, powerful swing backward saw her concentration return. With a squeal of excitement, she let go of the swing and launched herself forward, her arms spread wide as if she could fly.

I’m not sure about you, but thinking about launching myself out of a swing set now, at 19 years old? I’ll politely decline, thank you very much. As an adult, I’ve learnt my lessons. Broken bones, chipped teeth, grazed knees… and who knows what kind of heebie jeebies are lurking in the sand, just waiting for the opportunity to take a nip at my precious toes?

And yet… in the same breath, I kind of wish I could take that leap. Or rather, I wish I could take risks without any thought for the potential consequences.

As we grow older and enter into adulthood, we are no longer able to launch ourselves into the unknown with absolute faith that we will be able to pick ourselves up at the bottom. We worry, we delay, we allow ourselves to be dissuaded by potentials. Potential consequences, potential downfalls, potential problems. Until finally we convince ourselves that our ideas, our goals, are impossible.

What I've come to realise these past few months is that you can’t allow yourself to be afraid of the unknown. Any action comes with consequences. Any excitement comes with a little bit of fear. Success doesn't come without a little risk and sometimes happiness means taking yourself out of your comfort zone.

Everyone has desires, aspirations, dreams and goals. Invest in some knee pads, tuck your elbows in and just go for it. Talk to that guy you've been crushing on. Quit that job. Move to a new city. Wear that dress. Get married… or hell, get divorced! It’ll be difficult, it’ll be scary, but I tell you what, you have no idea how clear the skies can be until you've made a decision to change your life for the better. To do what’s right for you. 

My message today I guess is simply this:

Take a leap of faith.

Hey guys!

I've really been getting stuck into the writing this past week and I thought I'd share a few bits and pieces in the hopes of getting some feedback! Feel free to channel your meaner side!

Thanks for taking a minute to have a read 

Ash x

Typhon Expanse - Anthology 

I let out a small sigh of relief as an unexpectedly cool breeze ruffled the hair that lay slick to the back of my neck. My relief was short-lived however, as the next strong gust whipped the bedraggled black strands across my face and into my eyes. Catching a rather large chunk in my mouth, I choked and sputtered, breaking the thick silence that had hung over our congregation like a cloak. I winced. It was a mark of our colony’s discipline that not a single person turned to glare at me disapprovingly, although I could almost sense Elder Frost’s third eyelid twitching irritably, even from my position at the very back of the group.

I sunk low into my robe, feeling my ears grow hot with embarrassment. I’d long been considered the ‘odd one’ in the community. According to my tutors, I lacked the ‘natural grace and patience’ of the females of our race. Personally I liked to think that my vivacious personality was simply a source of jealousy. That aside, even I couldn’t deny that too often I found myself in uncomfortable situations I’d unwittingly brought on myself.

A dribble of moisture slid down my back, joining the other droplets of sweat that were quickly forming a formidable lake at the base of my tail. I shifted uncomfortably in the heat, willing my legs to uncramp themselves. The small movement caused me to brush involuntarily against the girl crouched respectfully on my left. Her posture stiffened, the set of her mouth radiating disapproval. I let out another sigh, this time in frustration.

Our congregation had gathered in the Sacred Valley, beneath the shrine of our Sun Gods, to pray for a safe and prosperous Mid-Cycle. It was a traditional event that occurred at this time each rotation and was considered of utmost importance. Group prayer and extended fasting ensured our continued grace in the eyes of our Gods. At this particular time, when both Suns scorched the land and our already limited water supplies grew even scarcer, survival became a top priority. Unfortunately, prayer was all that the colony could fall back on in harsh times. Me? Well, I was somewhat of a cynic. I wasn’t sure that any amount of prayer was going to push us through this Mid-Cycle, which already appeared bleaker than usual. That said I wasn’t able to offer up any life-changing alternatives to our predicament either.

Don’t get me wrong, I firmly believe in the existence of our Gods. Whether or not they have a hand, or even an interest in our measly existence? Well, I couldn’t help but speculate. I wasn’t the only one either. Many of the youth felt that it was a time for a change in leadership, a time to discuss new ideas, approach the growth and survival of our race from a new direction. The Elders were steadfast in their traditions though; the structure of our leadership allowing for no argument from the general population.

So here we knelt, the heat beating down on us from both the East and the West, the sand beneath our knees growing hotter and hotter, my stomach practically about to grow legs and go in search of food itself and the stench of sweaty bodies quickly becoming a fainting hazard.

Unfortunately, it would only get worse as the Suns neared their peak.  

The wind had picked up in earnest now. I raised my face to the sky, closing my eyes and allowing myself to enjoy the small respite. Abruptly, a shadow fell across my lids. I frowned. The wind was abnormal, but clouds? Rain at this time of the rotation was unheard of.

As the wind continued to grow in strength, I slowly became aware of an unusual whirring sound.