Shirley Valentine's Wall - Listens Carefully
I wonder what our four walls would say if they could give us advice about our lives...
I have written a little piece inspired by Willy Russell's play, Shirley Valentine. There is also a little reference to Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short story, The Yellow Wallpaper, that I may take up and follow at some later date. Both of these stories have stuck with me through the years. They are part of the herstory I found through literature.
Herstory is more whimsical than history, but also more poignant — somehow contradictory while being completely consistent. A woman's understanding is never straightforward. This is what I have found, at least.
For those of you who are not acquainted with Shirley Valentine I have included a youtube clip of the 1989 movie trailer.
Shirley's Wall
Shirley's wall couldn't hear. It didn't have ears. But nonetheless it was there and she needed something to vent at. It was the only thing that was present that would do. She looked at it and began.
The words poured out of her. She needed to let it all out. And let it all out she did. It was amazing how good she felt at the end. She smiled at her wall and thanked it. She even imagined it smiling back at her.
Her wall was plainly painted. No yellow wallpaper for Shirley. She wasn't really going mad. There was no madness from her. There was no madness from the wall. There was no irritating yellow wallpaper that took her away from her own thoughts.
She was trapped though. She felt that she was trapped at least; confined in a box that she couldn't see her way out of. Joe liked his dinner at 6. Steak was the only thing on the menu on Fridays and bit by bit her life was not her own.
But then she spent more time talking to her wall and although it didn't actually reply, she began speaking with gaps strategically placed, allowing some time for the wall's moment to reply before continuing. Amazingly, the wall gave her a new perspective.
It told her, without words, she wasn't trapped. It showed her the door. She went through it. There was a whole new world on the outside. It was a brave new world. One that she hadn't realised was there.
She walked outside. She was able to walk all the way to the travel agents and when she arrived, with the words of the wall echoing in her mind, she booked herself a one-way ticket to a beautiful Greek island.
She was not trapped at all. She just hadn't seen the choices she'd always had. Talking to the wall made life clear to her. She thanked the wall and began to live her life again. The choices were now all around her because she could speak to any wall she wanted to, or when there was no wall, a friendly rock would suffice.
I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you feel like striking up a conversation with something other than a wall, please feel free to comment. :)
If you are new to Steem and are still trying to find your feet, then there's a great community over on Discord that are there to help. All you need do is click the banner below, the one for Steem Terminal. Just hover your mouse and you'll see it change.
Steem Terminal is just one of many great communities. It has been set up to help. You can read more about it here and here.
Oh, Pauline Collins portrayal of Shirleyis a humourous, touching and tragically beautiful tale of an ordinary girl turned into an ordinary woman into an ordinary wife...I reckon many of us can relate to that. As a 46 year old British dude the wife part is not quite so easily relatable...
But...The part about being pushed by life into a corner we had not anticipated...Mmhmmm...I reckon many understand all that, only too well, I am sure every one of my workmates get it...Somehow I do not imagine working 12 hour shifts days and nights in a factory was an instrumental part of the lifeplan!
But in exactly the way that Shirley took matters into her own hands and made that one big drastic change that affected everything...We all have that ability close at hand. It is the ultimate trump card that we can play at any time we choose!
I think the film has been around for so long that spoilers are not too big an issue haha. Shirley pretty much went back to the life she had always known but with a vastly improved awareness of her situation and the choices that she actually has at her disposal.
Liberating?...I think that is liberating.
I am incredibly happy to have crossed paths with you and would love to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a magnificent 2019 from me and mine that sees you surrounded at all times by an abundance of health wealth and happiness 🙂 ❤️
I love comments @stevenwood. It shows me someone has taken the time out of their day to get to know me a little. We have connected.
I agree with what you have written about Shirley, her liberation does come from a new level of awareness. And her big drastic change impacted on everyone around her, especially her husband.
Our lives and our choices are important. That’s why I am glad I have joined Steem and am meeting so many new, interesting people who seem to hold that new awareness. You are now one of them.
I hope we get to hang out lots more in 2019. And can I repeat your own beautiful wishes for a magnificent 2019 to you and yours from me and mine. ❤️
Congratulations @juliamulcahy! You have completed the following achievement on the Steem blockchain and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
Click here to view your Board
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPTo support your work, I also upvoted your post!
Do not miss the last post from @steemitboard: