March 9th:
Yesterday was one big chunk of a slice of life and I have the privilege to share it with thousands of people that went worldwide to the streets to support women. I got so much energy and excitement on the streets that I don ´ t know how to convey them in words. I feel that maybe pictures might transmit my feelings better. However, we produced so many photos with our phones that the saying One image is worth more than a thousand words might not be true either. We have arrived at the point that we don’t have time to select the best of the crop.
Here are some of the emotions and feelings that started to appear in my body and mind before, during and after the march yesterday:
Anxious when I couldn’t find one of the three books I wanted to return to the library after the march. Only a librarian is kooky enough to want to do that at 11 pm.
Free when I was biking down the hill and I got the air and sun on my skin.
Amazed to see so many people when I arrived at Seville.
Appalled to see on signs simulating tombstones the names of so many women who have died due to gender violence.
Humoured to have found my friend Jorge and his wife Ángeles and their friend Pilar at the march.
Sad that my husband didn’t want to come with me (I know I have to give him time).
Comforted by the energy around me.
Wondering what would happen if we didn’t have a camera on our phones.
Energized with the drummers and their drums
Optimistic to see so many young people of all walks of lives and genders embracing each other.
Smiling at the sign of Little Red Riding Hood.
Thankful to be in the middle of it.
Stunned that we still need to march.
Hungry after four hours of marching.
Prepared when I sat down in the middle of Plaza Nueva to eat two oranges and drink some tea I brought in my backpack.
Dismayed when I realized it was 11 pm. and I still needed to go to the public library to return the books.
Cracked up when I saw the sign The women strike back since in Spanish we seldom can’t mention a noun without an article.
Tempted of going home and forget about being responsible.
Determined not to get tempted.
Happy I got rid of the one day overdue books.
Sweaty biking uphill back home.
Uneasy with the quietness of the night.
Relieved of being able to listen to an audio book while biking home that distracted me of fears.
Marveled by the life of Sonia Sotomayor in her My beloved world that gave me strength to keep pedaling.
Pleased to see the tree in Castilleja de Guzman that tells me that I am almost home.
Proud of being gifted with that day.
Combative with my husband for not having accompanied me.
Unfair for not wanting to listen.
Understanding when I hear his reasoning.
Unrepentant of all that happened.
Reconciled with my past, my present and my future.
Happy to go to bed.
La Intervencionista from the Deschutes River 
This format is so cool, Pia! Love they way you take us through the day, running the gamut of your emotions along with you! Sounds like an incredible day. Photos are so full of energy, as is your writing. Thank you for sharing this!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you Lanny. Your comment means a lot to me, especially because I was getting really frustrated that I couldn’t write a thing yesterday. I don’t know what I’m going to do today 😮.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Genial Pía!!!! ¡¡¡¡Eres una comunicadora excepcional!!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ay amiga mía, tan buena y fiel tú de seguirme. Gracias por el ánimo para seguir escribiendo pues tengo el cerebro como papa. Si el reto fuera en español también tendría una novela, pero en inglés se me hace cuesta arriba. El próximo lo hacemos tú yo en español 😉
LikeLike
Thank you for taking us there, with your words and photos.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fun format, each feeling like a snapshot. Picture worth a thousand words? Nah. Value lies in emotion, instead.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Brian. My head is almost exploding. Writing in English every day is really challenging not just because I feel I have exhausted my array of words, but because you feel discourage that it won’t never be easier. If this challenge were in Spanish, I would have already a novel, hahaha.
LikeLike
I enjoyed riding your emotions as you retold your experiences in Plaza Nueva. The names of the people and the places brought them closer. The photos in your post were no longer someone else’s news but a part of your story and now my own. The last image of the tree was especially personal.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you!
LikeLike