When the Rules Change — Donna Hopkins

*Last Cosmos of the Season, Colonial Beach, November 2025*

When the rules change, it’s okay to take long walks with my camera and just notice.

When the rules change, I don’t need to justify or explain why I like what I like. I realize I will wrestle with guilt. I understand that not everyone will understand. I can stay in connection with others even when we see things differently.

When the rules change, I get up in the middle of the night and edit the photos I took during the day. Just because I can’t wait to see what they look like. Do they reflect the way I felt on that perfect autumn day?

When the rules change, I realize there never were any rules. Only the the prison I built for myself. Is it possible to care too much and not enough at the same time?

When the rules change, I wonder what tomorrow will hold.