Greetings Earthlings
Week 5 – Diary, an anchor during the day
This week, shall we talk about diaries?
We live in important historic times: everything is different now. Once, I heard my grandparents mention Spanish Flu but they never spoke of it in detail, described what it was like, who died, who was ill, how much information they were given. How worried were they? They lived in Colonel Light Gardens: what did the streets look like then? I don’t know.
So, I am keeping a diary. I have kept diaries in the past. The urge usually lasts 3-5 days and then I forget, can’t find anything to say, I have got whatever I wanted to say off my chest and so, the paper/s find their way into the bin, but not, needless to say, of history – even the things I wrote after 9/11 went that way and I was pretty upset then. This time I am solid on Day 20:
….E– thinks capitalism will return with a right-wing vengeance post COVID. I, rosy coloured glasses, am not so convinced. G– read an article in the Guardian as to why coinage/money won’t completely disappear. I still think they will make it more expensive to use money…
Drove home through the city last night. Almost completely deserted. 1 or 2 at bus-stops only. No pedestrians. No-one walking about.
From Cross Rd to Springbank only 2 cars and 1 bus, all travelling against me. Eerie.
As you see, this is not the stuff of great literature, nor is it deeply personal, but it paints something of a picture for future readers or enough for me to recall, 10 years down the track, what the thinking was, what was happening around me, in some detail.
The diary has become something of an anchor during my day. There is no one time I sit down to write, although I have heard this practice recommended. As world events are changing so quickly I often write a few lines (longhand), as the day goes on, about what is happening in the moment, but I don’t write very much. It’s not a chore or an imperative. Sometimes it’s personal, sometimes it’s not.
We are being advised/urged to practice mindfulness, with which I absolutely agree, but I also think it’s important to come to terms with, achieve personal perspective on the things that are happening around us and about which we seem to have so little control. For those of us living alone, without physical companionship, without different voices around us for many hours at a time, it is important to locate ourselves within the context of our world events. A diary may be one way to achieve this.
There are all sorts of possible diaries: drawing (draw your house, your garden, your dog), montage diaries, samplers. Old samplers sell for a fortune at auctions, especially those linked to historic events: recognise this history, that these are different times and create your individual sampler, a future investment.
Video this week
The Maestro channels Monet: paint, sketch, draw, colour French anything. France is in such a parlous state, that beautiful country needs all of your good vibes to help them along. Alors citizens! Marchon: paint Francais.
The Book Worm
Judy P responded that recently she has been enjoying Gary Disher books. Another big tick for The Disher guy. Also Elizabeth Strout’s “Olive Again”, the follow-on from “Olive Kitteridge”, which is another excellent read.
Rod’s wife sent in a list of books that she has loved: the exquisite, ‘All The Light We Cannot See, The Giver, Water for Elephants, The Great Alone and she also suggests any book by Lisa See.
This week I read 2 Jack Reacher novels (it really doesn’t matter which ones), Lee Child’s protagonist. I need the good guys to win at the moment and the bad guys to lose very, very badly. I will say no more.
Stay well, stay connected, stay positive