we are all Gemini

During the day, dressed business casual, he spoke the words that were expected of him at board meetings.  He fought for the company.  More importantly, he fought for the company’s share holders.  He asked “How high?” when his bosses told him to jump.  He knew what he needed to do to climb the corporate ladder.  He knew the game, and he was good at it.  He hated it.

At night, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, his bare feet resting on the coffee table, he sat with his friends, his true peers, his companions, his ka-tet, and solved the real problems of the world.  Everyone was on equal footing, every voice mattered, and they went round and round until they had talked through wealth and religion, politics and global warming.  He was truly happiest in those moments because he could say what he felt, he could argue passionately for the causes he believed in, and while he friends may have disagreed, they still respected him for his opinions.

…..

At home, she played the dutiful wife.  She had breakfast on the table ready for the small hands of her two children to shovel into their mouths on the way out the door to catch the bus.  She made sure her husband was dressed well for work.  She kept the place spotless.  She had dinner ready on time every night and made sure it was both tasty and nutritious.  She kept the peace.  She kept her calm.  She was the perfect picture of the suburban house wife, poised, refined.  She controlled her wild soul.

When she went out with her friends every Friday night, while the kids stayed home with their father, she dressed in slinky outfits, high heels, glittery jewelry.  The drank and danced, laughed and swapped stories from their homes.  She cursed with the best of them.  She spilled her drinks and didn’t care what kind of mess she was making.  She unchained herself and let her spirit run free.  The nights became the swirling chaos of noise and colors that she so desperately craved.

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My first thought upon reading this week’s Queen Creative Prompts for the Promptless was of Billy Joel’s song “Uptown Girl” – the dual life a person can lead depending on where they are and who they are with.  That seemed to fit perfectly for “honne,” so I ran with it:

 

Wednesday, September11th, 2013

Honne is a Japanese noun referring to the behavior and opinions someone truly believes in– often displayed with one’s closest confidants.

Suggested Prompts:

• Tell us about your closest friend
• Write a poem or story about the honne we share with our closest friends
• Share a honne with us
• Introduce us to a picture concept, story, or song that represents a honne
• … or make up your own related prompt!