Cost of Power

Looking back at many of the fairy tales and stories that have been told and collected over the years, it’s plain to see our struggle for power. And it comes in all shapes and sizes. There’s political power, financial power, societal power, familial, physical, institutional, emotional, perceptual. The list goes on.

Looking back at Whiskey Witches, I think this was something I’ve always sought because throughout my life, I’ve felt powerless. Even though, now? I am not. I am a very powerful woman, and that, too, is kind of scary.

But today’s prompt is about the cost to maintain, and I think that’s something we’re seeing in society right now. Lots of people want power. They want to feel more mighty, more in control.

But the cost is heavy. It means you have to take responsibility for your actions. You have to clean up the mess that’s left behind, and in a lot of instances, there is a mess.

What do we, as a society, do when things get too overwhelming? We pull out our phones, tuck our earpod into our ear, and scroll.

Video after video.

Some have meaning. Some rial something within us.

But then, what do we do with it? We sit. On our couch. On our chair.

Yes, unicorn, sometimes, we get up and do something, but for the most part, we don’t. Most of the time, we stay sitting.

Because being powerful in our own lives takes energy, control, and it has to be managed and maintained.

What happens when we don’t do that? Our lives spiral into pits of garbage. Anything you build on top of garbage falls down. That’s one reason why we don’t build on top of landfills. The stories show us how to fight for power, and then how to take it and to do the one thing we always dreamed of doing with it.

But most stories stop there. They never talk about how you have to continually manage it. They never mention how it has to be continually maintained.

Power - whichever type of power you choose to go for - is a marathon. It’s not a fairytale sprint. It’s not a long distance sprint you can complete in 1.5 hours - or 3 hours if it’s a really long movie. And you won’t always get it right.

But let me tell you something. I’d still rather have the power. Even though it’s work to manage, I still would rather have it.

Would you?