Imagine This

We all have an obligation to daydream. We have
an obligation to imagine. It is easy to pretend that
nobody can change anything, that society is huge
and the individual is less than nothing. But the
truth is individuals make the future, and they do it
by imagining that things can be different.
~Neil Gaiman

I am fascinated by imagination recently. When did I forget to imagine? I know I imagined as a child. I wonder where it went?

As a much younger person, my whole world was a blank slate for me to paint my life upon. For too many years, though, I found a system or structure that worked and went with it. It seemed to serve me well, yet creativity was less and less available as I followed the structure. Now as I am aging, I find the common understanding of aging is not very inspiring at all. And so, I am taking up imagining as a hobby!

Here’s how it is going so far. My little terrier got overwhelmed and really scared at all the local fireworks in our area on July 4th. She has always been more anxious than her sister, but now she was actually terrified. But only at bedtime, which is when the noises started. I’ve raised dogs since I was in my twenties (many years ago), so I tried lots of things I already knew. None of them were working. Then I tried researching behavior modification methods. Again, not working.

So, I decided to imagine what her world and mine might be like if she could find a sense of safety and I could rest knowing that she was back in a balanced state of mind. And suddenly the answer was right there. I brought her into the bedroom
with me that very night and she immediately fell into a deep and relaxing sleep. So simple, yet my intellect tries to tell me that I am ‘spoiling her’ or making the situation worse by ‘bending to her needs’. And yet, watching her blissfully sleep as I drift off to sleep myself is the best kind of balm for the soul.

One current project I have is to imagine a world run by feminine power with compassion and extravagant tenderness!

I now wonder what I can imagine next. One current project I have is to imagine a world run by feminine power with compassion and extravagant tenderness! Can’t hurt, might help and it feels lovely to reflect on. When I am feeling like my time is scarce, I stop and imagine that I have exactly the time I need and can relax. What a difference, and I find that I often have MORE of what I imagine, like room in time. When I catch myself using the ‘I’m getting old’ thinking, I stop and imagine what a physically strong and healthy life might be into my late nineties. And I laugh because it seems much more interesting than the current model at play in the world.

Try it out and let me know how it goes. Your imagination muscles might be rusty like mine were. Or they might be humming on all cylinders. If you need a refresher course in how to imagine, for real, hang out with a child for a few minutes. They are masters at this power.