Monday, July 31, 2006

An ordinary day ...

Throughout history, journals have recorded the most ordinary of days, as they were experienced by the most ordinary of people. And this, is the single most intriguing part of reading a journal don't you think? What secrets were held by this woman as nanny in this medieval household? How was she treated by her master and mistress? Did she love the child? Was she happy? The list goes on ... for ordinary people have the most extroidinary lives. And every writer knows this. And most books are based on a story of an ordinary person ... having an ordinary day ... it just sounds extroidinary when it is recorded.

So in our journals, it is important to include the ordinary details ... like something about our clothes ... describing fabrics and today's cost. Or transport methods and how the public transport system works. Or perhaps something about your local area ... For one day, down the track, this ordinary information will be the most interesting ...

Won't it feel strange when your grandkids read your journal and say "Grandama ... you complained about the price of petrol when it was only $1.49 a litre"! Just like we are amazed at the thought of a pint of milk for 0.4c! But there was a time when that was the case ... and we know this because people bothered to record some ordinary facts and events ...

The ordinary and common connect us.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wonder if writing the ordinary things that happen in my "Mummy Day" every day are just plain boring?

Billychic said...

I think this is a really great point - and something to consider more of in my own writing.

Thank you! Well said!
:)
d

Pamela J Weatherill said...

Never ... Mummy Days are the beginning of your kids lives and they will love the details as they get older!