It was like looking at yourself in a mirror, seeing yourself without masks or veils: recognising yourself for what you are. It needed courage to see with your own eyes the wounds that you were carrying with you.
Impulses rule my life. I walk, I talk, I laugh, I write, I draw and I run, all on impulse. Strong impulses, that create armour, a dark and spikey layer that makes it difficult to walk, to talk, to laugh, to write, to draw and to run.
Almost without realising, I lose pieces of me by concentrating too hard on building my defences. Coloured pieces that by walking, talking, laughing, writing, drawing and running, remind me that I can smooth my armour, soften it and make it colourful.