Recalling when I was an intern at The Telling Room, a non-profit Community Writing Center in Portland, Maine. My assignment was assisting with a workshop for fourth grade students. The room was bustling with energy and the workshop facilitators were offering rapid fire writing prompts the kids were responding well to. Until this one. The prompt was simply HOME.
At my table 4 of the 5 kids seized up. All I could see was spooked horses. Eyes white and bulging, frozen for a moment before they prepared to dig stirrups into their own hide to bolt.
It was quiet but I murmured 'I wasn't always happy at home. It wasn't a cozy place. I felt more at home running by myself in the woods...'
Oh? The young girl next to me said.
And then I, 'Is there a place like that for you?'
She finally exhaled the breath she had taken in when she first heard the prompt. She described her after school drama club where she loved who she could be and she could be ANYTHING.
I said 'Oh. Home.'
The others mentioned distressed parents, awkward step parenting. Much, much was left without words.
I remember that today as City of Portland institutes a Stay At Home Ordinance to curb the spread of Covid19.
May we all find our way home.