#rwot

A rather awesome Lesser-striped Swallow…

📸 by Will Wilson

I've been meaning to get this posted by now, but some health issues for myself threw me for a few days so it's a little later than I wanted.

Every October to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness, I host a showcase of the Real Women of Tumblr.

This event started years ago when a lady I admired very much did a Real Men of Tumblr theme day, and together we came up with Real Women too.

The rules are simple.

-photo must be a woman of Tumblr, submitted either by her or with her consent. (They can be anonymous, but if it's not your photo, you must provide a way for me to contact them for verification of consent.)

- no full nudity, due to Tumblrs policies, we dont want anyone to be banned or flagged. Submissions with naughty bits showing will be edited or not posted

-- be respectful. No harassing the ladies. Unwanted messages, rude comments, etc will get you reported and blocked.

-- be creative, have fun.. submit one or more photos to me via Tumblr messages, the submission link, or email me at [email protected]. Be sure to let me know if you want your Tumblr name shared or be kept anonymous.

-- if you like, share a favourite quote, anecdote, or tell something about yourself.

Please submit photos sent in email as attachments as I currently only have my phone for this, no laptop as mine fried.

--tell anyone, everyone and share this post!

Deadline for post submission is Saturday October 23rd. Latecomers may or may not be posted depending on time frame of submission and number of posts received.

A watchful Meyer’s Parrot…

📍@UmusambiV in Kigali, Rwanda, RwOT

A White-Collared Oliveback, photographed @nyandungupark in Kigali, Rwanda

“It is a happy talent to know how to play.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

I chose this photo because I think it captures an element that aptly defines me: strength through playfulness.

As an adult, life can be overwhelming and many people often forget to prioritize their play. But to me, being playful is an inherent part of learning about myself and about the world around me. In fact, the ability to laugh at myself and with others has been a fundamental part in helping me build resilience in my life and become a stronger person.

Tumblr has been my space to play and my blog has been a great part of helping me express my creativity through play. I make time for it, and it has been a perfect place of exploration and play for a curious person like me. This ability to play has been especially handy in helping me survive 2020 with grace, and for that, I am quite grateful.

Thank you for hosting this theme to lift up us ladies of tumblr!

Xo-@sargasmicgoddess

“IT TAKES COURAGE TO SAY YES TO REST AND PLAY IN A CULTURE WHERE EXHAUSTION IS SEEN AS A STATUS SYMBOL.”

“It was rather beautiful: the way he put her insecurities to sleep. The way he dove into her eyes and starved all the fears and tasted all the dreams she kept coiled beneath her bones.” -- Christopher Poindexter

I’ve been away from Tumblr quite a long time.

But for whatever reason, I couldn’t bring myself to close my account.

I’ve mixed feelings about Tumblr…

It’s has kind of helped me realise part of who I am,

but it also gave me a false view of who I thought I was.

I became too wrapped up in my “potential’ as a woman and strived to be her, but what happened was, I lost the "real” me and I suppressed her thinking I was something else.

I lost me.

So I left.

The past few months, well since February really, I’ve been working on myself and whilst I’m not quite there, I’m so much more me than I think I ever was.

I’ve been through hell,

I’ve reached the skies,

I’ve cried,

I’ve laughed,

I’ve screamed…

But most of all, I’ve simply found.

I am just me…

This photo was taken at the top of a mountain where I was battered by altitude, high winds and a short time later, I was saturated by rain.

I never felt so liberated.

Real Woman of Tumblr? Heck yeah!