What is mine, what is yours? Do we want mines, or do we not want mines? We mine our minds for worthy ideas, we mine our family – for hugs and tears … When we’re young, the idea of ownership comes soon, very soon, but it can take a lifetime to understand the nuances of what is ‘mine’.
For the baby, their continuing life depends on their demands being met, are crucial, and as far as they’re concerned, their cries saying ‘that’s mine’ are paramount. They need to be fed, whenever they are hungry, and so their demands are met, almost every time.
Their understanding grows, they may have siblings come along after, or they had some from the start, and they learn that others have demands on thier parents too. Then baby is an adult, and the whole world makes demands, and they struggle to learn about, and hold onto the concept of ‘mine’.
And of course, there are currently protesters protesting about mines, and mining, and there are a great many things to be said and written about such things. And of course we may have some things in our homes and hearts, that we can look at and happily say, ‘Yes, that’s mine, and I love it.’
Then there’s the concept of our children, and our partner too. We look at them, and can say, ‘They are mine too, and I love them.’ But such love can be shaped, wrenched away, lost, via a variety of ructions in life, and the idea of what is ‘Mine’ and what is ‘Theirs’ is decided, not by love, but by the courts.
Can anyone ever actually say about such people, ‘They are mine’? Because surely we are all our own people, no matter the love there. Love doesn’t imply ownership. Or does it?
These things are all ideas that can be explored in writing, because the writing prompt for today is that tricky and nuanced word – MINE.
Do with it what you will! Regards to all, following along on this “Fabulous February”, month of writing prompts. May your writing bring you joy and understanding.
Carolyn Cordon - Creative 