Wow

I had an epiphany on the bus this morning, that the secrets you give a character affect how that character carries herself and interacts with others.  We did a long (2+ hour) improv as our Spoon River characters last night, and one of the things we were asked to do is come up with a secret, and then come up with a second secret and share the second one with another character.  I had originally thought of her (Emily Sparks) in a particular light, but when I interacted with others, she was different than how I imagined her when I read it.  Anyway, this morning I realized that difference came out of the secret. (Useful for me to know.  I was expecting her character to come out for me from her carriage or voice or clothes.)  Still, it makes sense, secrets would affect point-of-view, and that in turn would affect how you approach someone else.  ("Of course," sounds nicer than "duh."  Liberating just the same.)

I had a second epiphany last night from a throw-away, joking comment a friend said, and then another weird misunderstanding (not a bad one.)  Something that's been bothering me for the past year suddenly lifted off of my shoulders...it really shouldn't have made any difference, but it flipped a switch in my perception of myself and how that relates to someone else.  Can't explain it, only can say that where nothing else had been able to make a difference, that comment suddenly woke me up. (Well, and earlier in the day, I suddenly, unintentionally, did an empathy exercise on them (the one I've been stuck on), and looked at their actions/statements/reactions from that point-of-view, and it removed all the anger and frustration and alienation I was feeling.)  It's all just gone now.  I'm free.  Crazy.

I hope it lasts.