“I am Bwana! Wild woman of the Amazon!”
This the declaration of my 5-year-old self, who left to her own devices, would wander the nearby woods for hours each day, living like a feral child. No idea where the “bwana” came from, and pretty sure I did not know what the Amazon was, but such is the richness of a child’s imagination.
Sometimes my older sister would play along with me, and we would be warrior women – fierce and indestructible. Of course, none of that was true. We lived in a state of imposed chaos and darkness – the struggles of those we depended on beyond anyone’s control.
Still, I think of her, that brave girl-child, whenever I venture into the woods alone. These days, I am more cautious, of course, but the reverence for her indomitable spirit remains.
Long before I learned responsibility and was carved by the expectations of civilized society, I was a wild warrior woman named Bwana!
(No photos of that child remain, but I do try to capture her in my photographs of the woods.)
This week’s challenge was to recognize the inner warrior. I so enjoyed your contributions – a reminder that we are all warriors in one way or another, and in some cases, that we need to recognize and appreciate that in others.
The Question Remains…, radhikasreflection
The Art of War, Reena Saxena
Armour of God, The Elloe Recorder
Warrior, I Write Her
Warrior, Relax, It’s all Write
Ode to friendship, paeansunpluggedblog
The Greatest of All Time, MMA Storytime
As the eagle flies, Eugi’s Causerie II
purpleinportland – see comments
Her Warrior Code, parallax
We Are Soldiers, Blog of Hammad Rais
Who I Am, Hearing the Mermaids Sing
Warrior, one letter UP
Sevenling, Sgeoil
See you tomorrow for a new challenge:
One Woman's Quest II 
I LOVE this!!! It reminds me a bit of growing up in the country……..
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Yes. We lived right on the edge of town, with farmers fields and woods behind us.
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đŸ™‚ sounds awesome!!!
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Bwana means master or boss in Africa, which at our tender young age, we were the master of our world of pretend. I was a tree climber and use to swing on the branches because I was the queen of the jungle. Much to the dismay of my mother and probably the reason she sent me to a modeling school.
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Hahaha. I worried my mother too.
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I seem to remember the name “Bwana” in the dim recesses of my memory. I have no idea where it came from.
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Lol. Must have been something in cartoons or something.
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Yes, hearing it on a cartoon is probably it!
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When you said Bwana, it reminded me of TOWANDA from the movie Fried Green Tomatoes. Great movie! Here’s the scene that came to mind – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx0z9FjxP-Y Yeah, I’d call her a warrior too! LOL
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Definitely a warrior, lol.
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Yep!
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