Red toe shoes with yellow flowers

I am a Facebook member. I signed up when I was teaching and my students asked me to be a member so they could easily get in touch with me. Of course, I have my own friends on Facebook and I visit it almost daily to look, not necessarily to reply. I have been hesitant to accept new friends because first, I am too busy to just sit and chat and second, I am an introvert. I grew up an only child who enjoys being quietly alone. But maybe someday soon that will change.

One day last week I went to lunch and ran into an old Jungian friend, Sophie Sim Bate. I was totally delighted to see her. Sophie is one of the best Jungian therapists I know. What is a Jungian therapist? In the wide world of psychology there are two prominent psychiatrists — Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. If you are an advocate of Freud, you are known as a Freudian, of Jung, you are known as a Jungian. All these things I learned when sometime in the ‘90s in a fit of total exhaustion I saw an article in the newspaper about a Jungian festival at the Ateneo. On a whim I signed up and absolutely loved and enjoyed it. It was a highly creative seminar run by the most delightful, charming, funny women. That’s where I got over my exhaustion, which was brought on by stress at work. In the end, attending all these Jungian seminars is the story of how I found — and loved — myself, of how I became the person I am now.

Anyway yesterday I went to Facebook when I saw that my tall, dark, handsome photographer friend, Reni Orayani, had sent me a photo. I decided to check it out. There I saw a delightful drawing of a girl’s legs in black and white striped tights and bright red toe shoes with yellow flowers, a perfectly delightful picture that simply makes you smile. It announced Wild Woman, a Jungian seminar to be held at the Ateneo Rockwell on May 17-18 by Sophie Sim Bate. May 17 is my father’s birthday, a special day for me. Immediately I decided — I will go to this one. I always like to do special things on my father’s birthday.

I love it when situations arise where the dots are visible and all you have to do is connect them. First dot: I run into Sophie and realize I have missed her. Second dot: Reni Orayani sends me this notice and I just absolutely love the visuals maybe because it seems to break through my illusions about ballet – pink toe shoes, plain white tights. Whoever heard of putting yellow flowers into red toe shoes? Finally it’s on my dad’s birthday! Draw the three dots together and I have a triangle, a perfect decision.

 I actually partially took this seminar a few years ago but I could not finish it because I had an important appointment. I can’t remember what. So now I will finish it. I will enroll, spend P4,800 on the tuition and enjoy myself thoroughly. I also hope to make new friends. Most of all I want to release the wild woman whom I know lives inside me. We all – men and women – have that wild creative side. We just have to learn how to pop it and let it overflow generously, like a bottle of champagne. As I am at life’s pre-departure lounge, I can be as wildly creative as I know how and I want this power released.

You know, the way we use words sometimes gives them a negative meaning. When we say wild it often means sexually wild, will hop into bed with anybody. That is not the real definition of wild. Wild means uncultivated not domesticated, untamed, free to be what she truly wants to be. If you are a woman – young or old – raised in the Philippines in the customary way, believe me you want to be wild. Then you will stop worrying about should or should, what will other people say, you just concern yourself with what will make you happy and find the courage to do it. Of course, the seminar is a little expensive, but it is worth every penny. You don’t feel that immediately after but one day when you have achieved what led you there in the first place, you will realize that the fee was well spent.

So if you are a woman who feels held back and restrained and you want to find your creativity, take this seminar. If you are sick of the pink toe shoes and white tights you can wear black and white striped tights, sparkling red toe shoes and stick bright yellow flowers into them. You can call 0917-8317773 for more information. I am certain you will have a good time.

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