b.read.crumbs : Twinkling

star ~ noun -  a natural luminous body visible in the sky; a person who is preeminent in a particular field

A few months ago I wrote a b.read.crumbs post about tarot Key 9, The Hermit, in which I shared a few hermit crab flash pieces.

The image I used for that post is a Hermit card from one of my small collection of Tarot decks, but I want you to see a more traditional Hermit, so here’s that:

Did you notice that the lantern’s light is a star? It’s a star that illuminates the Hermit’s search for truth and meaning in the world.

This month The Star is my card for a b.read.crumbs post. I’ve waffled for weeks trying to decide which of the multitude of meanings I want to write about–subconscious connection of the spiritual world to the physical, intuition, renewal, or so many others.

Finally I went back to the most basic form of card interpretation—I looked at it. The traditional Star card shows us an unclothed figure, suggesting that she’s uninhibited, unrestricted, unconstrained. The Star is just going about her business, being herself without any concern for what she’s supposed to be or do. She is naked truth, revealed to the world, not hiding behind the illusion of modesty. Oh, to be confident enough to live a wide-open life, comfortable with our true self, whatever that is. The Star encourages us to do just that, and the Hermit nudged me forward.

Follow me through my thought process:

The Hermit’s star lantern + the Star as truth revealed without shame or embarrassment = not hiding the light. Not hiding your light, not hiding my light.

I’m always afraid to shine a bright light on my accomplishments, but who’s gonna know about what I’ve written and where to read it if I don’t toot the horn, eh? I agonize over social media posts, trying to introduce links to my published work with some clever words that downplay the very thing I need to promote. Some of you know exactly what I mean.

Here’s where this all comes together:

I wrote a hermit crab essay that I’m very happy with. It’s about my most recent jury duty experience, and the title is “$11 and Mileage.” It was accepted by a highly respectable literary journal (incidentally, this was the first response I got on the piece—no rejections at all). Dang it, I’m proud of this.

$11 and Mileage

That’s ridiculously hard to admit. So hard, in fact, that I have a backup post ready to use, one that doesn’t mention my Really Good Essay at all. If you’re reading this one, I opted to be a Star and let myself shine. Good on me.

While I’m having this moment of courage, I’ll ask you for a favor. Will you please have a look at the Really Good Essay? If you find it worthwhile, will you please share it with your friends who might enjoy it?

May I ask you for one more favor?

All this shining wears me out, and also I feel like I’ve been bragging, which is unladylike and just plain rude. One small step is to redefine the action; it’s not bragging, it’s twinkling. I want to be a better Star, but I’d feel more comfortable if some of you joined me in the light. Please. Will you post in the comments section about something you’re proud of—any accomplishment, award, honor, action, anything that Modesty says you should be humble about.