Another writing prompt for today.
What if…starts me into a nonsensical spiral. What if the worlds of Dr Seuss are real? What if the first of Octember will really come? And what if any of the wonderful dreams of children’s books can come true?
I think this is where I go when I hear what if. What if is permission to dream. It’s permission to think crazy thoughts, believe things that don’t function in ‘real life’, and generally have fun with all that imagining.
What if is a compulsion to build bigger and higher and funnier stories and imaginings. Maybe than others – what if I can imagine more than you can? But I really want you with me in my imaginings, because imagining is even more fun when it’s shared.
What if that kind of imagining was a job? Or a way to earn a living? Or a way that you were simply allowed to spend your time? It’s the kind of question people are thinking about when they ask ‘What would you do if money were no object?’
What if is also the world of philosophy – of software design – of big budget action movies. What if that car were to be picked up and abducted…by a helicopter? What if an old man’s house were to float away in a cloud of balloons? What if we really could remember everything we’d ever thought: would we have time to think anything new?
You might be able to guess (or remember) some of the answers to these. I’m also remembering that there are people called ‘imagineers’ (I think for Disney?) whose job it is to come up with great, wild and wonderful notions that others will fall in love with.
What if there were really a platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross? What if you could drive a car which had a conveyor belt of soda bottles with straws, so you would never run out? What if a mother had multiple sons and really did call them all Dave?
Really, what I love is coming up with my own what ifs, and enjoying the what ifs that are out there to encounter. Because some of the what ifs of the past might just become reality – in fact, have already done so. Didn’t I read this week that they’ve actually developed a kind of light sabre now?
Given that ‘the truth is stranger than fiction’, we may also find that there is plenty out there fulfilling our imagined what ifs. What if there were rabbits the size of medium-sized dogs? It’s the world of the Guiness Book of Records, and QI, and behind the scenes documentaries.
What if…is hopeful of wonder. What if is expectant of surprise and delight. What if is guessing, and finding out you were right all along. What if we could all do that more often?
[I thought about putting links to these to show the answers to some of these what ifs. But I decided not to. What if you asked them as true, wondering questions? And what if you looked them up, and enjoyed what you found out?
So let me know if you do.]