WRITING PROMPTS

Freewriting Friday — Roar Like A Tiger

Brave. Competitive. Unpredictable.

They say those born in the year of the tiger are “brave, competitive, unpredictable, and confident.” I was born in the Year of the Tiger, 1950. There’s no question that I’m highly competitive, confident, occasionally brave, but rarely unpredictable.

Brave

When I look back on my life, I can see times when I was brave. I don’t think I had time to think about my fear, but only wanted to protect my children. The only time I’ve killed snakes is when they threatened my children. And then I have no mercy.

Am I brave? Some would say I am, but I think I’m just going about my day doing what I have to do. When I’ve packed up and left my marriage, I think perhaps that was brave. It would’ve been easier to stay, but would I have been happy? Would the children have been happy? I think not.

And I didn’t do this once. I did it twice!

Competitive

Now there’s no question about this one. I am definitely competitive. I’m competitive at everything. At sport, I want to win. Playing board games or cards, I want to win. At pub trivia, I want to win.

I never enter a competition without the full expectation that I’m going to win. Sometimes it works for me. I won a trip to New York for the whole family. I want two television game shows. I don’t win board games all the time because my family is also very competitive.

I’m trying not to be competitive writing here on Medium because I know I’m not going to be able to win against other writers. But I am being competitive against myself. I am aiming to increase the number of readers I have and the amount of money I earn each month. That’s all I can do.

Unpredictable

I don’t know about that. My exes would all say I’m unpredictable, but I don’t think I am. My daughter says I’m completely predictable. I like to have things planned and don’t like plans being changed.

I like to be in control and rarely do things on the spur of the moment. I am normally even-tempered and it takes a lot to push me over the edge. But if you manage to do it, beware the wrath of hell. Maybe that’s why my exes might call me unpredictable.

Thanks, Ellie Jacobson for this Freewriting Friday prompt.