Have you ever heard of Isadora Duncan? Duncan was one of the founders of ‘modern dance’ – she hated the ritualistic, formulated steps of ballet and felt that dance should be a true expression of your wild side. When I was young I saw pictures of her, and had a vague, romantic notion of her free spirit. And, oh, those scarves! Even her death was dramatic – a trailing scarf caught in the wheels of a car and breaking her neck! (yeah – I know…but I was young then…)

Duncan retained her spirit until her death. She defied convention, and was an inspiration for many artists. She bore children out of wedlock ( in the early 1900′s – scandalous!), married a poet 20 years younger than her (You GO, girl!), and socialized in Paris and the Mediterranean in the company of other artists.

I remember as a young girl, I always told tales. I had an imagination. I eagerly tried new things. I had a wild side! No wonder Isadora’s life appealed to me.

When I began college classes a few years ago, my first English assignment was to write an essay introducing myself. My essay ended up being about finding myself after divorce. You see, when I got my divorce, I realized that I didn’t know who I was. I had always been somebody’s daughter, wife, or mother. I hadn’t been me since I was about 10. Once someone asked me what I liked to do…and I didn’t know. Re-discovering me has been a slow process, and I admit that I am still surprised by things I find.

One thing about me that has returned is my willingness to set aside small fears and plunge in. No, I won’t leap out of an airplane, BASE or bungee jump, but that goes back to my fear of heights.  Almost anything else deserves exploring! I absolutely love learning about things, even if I don’t repeat the experiment.

Writing helps keep my wild side going. Even if I don’t have the nerve to make that parachute jump, I can create a character that not only does it with a parachute, but finds free-falling exhilarating. I can design a heroine that can climb mountains and swim the English Channel. While this may be a way to keep myself physically safe, it is also a way to experience things that I know my 65-year-old body just isn’t capable of accomplishing any more. Oh, to be 16 again and limber and athletic.

How many of you look back and think, “Gee… I wish I had done (or tried) that while I was in better shape.”?

Well – why not? Why not let your mind and your words and your newest hero do it for you? You are only limited by your imagination.