I’m very excited to again this week to join a talented group of women bloggers in an online, unedited flash mob free write. Week after week, these women produce insightful and inspiring posts based on a word-prompt given to us by our fearless leader Kate Motaung (whose wonderful blog can be found at katemotaung.com).

What you are about to read is almost-surely quite different from those posts. My brain, when presented with an on-demand timed writing situation, goes in all sorts of directions at once, and there’s simply no telling what will pop up on the screen.  My timer is set for 5 minutes; let’s see where the word “lift” takes me.

“Hey, can you use a lift?” I looked over to see a woman who had pulled over and was slowly driving along beside me as I walked down the street earlier this week. She was leaned over a bit, peering out at me through the passenger window of her minivan.

She looked completely harmless — you know, the type of woman who has a family, complete with cat and dog, of stick figures on the back of her minivan — but I smiled and said, “No, but thank you. I’m just walking to the library.” She smiled and waved before driving away, and I walked the remaining 100 or so yards to my destination.

I didn’t need the physical, car-ride type of lift she was referring to, but there are other lifts I would certainly appreciate. I wonder how she would have reacted if I’d jumped into her car and said,

“Yes, I’d love a lift. Actually, I’d appreciate a couple of lifts. Do you have pen and paper to jot these down? You do? Great!

First, I’d be so thankful if you could take away the incessant political posturing and debating and rehashing that surrounds us. It’s not productive and only serves to distract and divide us from what’s really important.

Of course, it would be great if you could lift from my life all the unnecessary tasks and stuff I’ve managed to collect. You know, so I’m left only with the true essentials, the things of real value.

Oh, no! We’re almost to the library, and there are some other things I want to add to the list. You say I only have time for one or two more?

Hmmmm . . .

Well, I’d love for you to lift the cloud of doubt and uncertainty that keeps me from pursuing a career as a writer. 

One last thing. I know it’s vain of me, but could you lift the jiggly stuff on my thighs and upper arms and the bags under my eyes? Oh, and don’t forget the wrinkles! Don’t worry about the ones that don’t show — just get the ones on my face.

Yes, I could use a lift!