avatarJonah Lightwhale

Summary

The website content is a reflective essay titled "Everyday Stories #22: A List of Joys," where the author poetically describes the simple pleasures in life and the act of recording them in a notebook as a timeless endeavor to find reasons to live.

Abstract

"Everyday Stories #22: A List of Joys" is an introspective piece that delves into the author's personal journey of finding joy in mundane activities such as writing, walking, and holding hands. The author purchases a notebook from a corner stationery store and begins to fill it with a list of joys that are precious, meticulous, and even supernatural. These joys range from the silent dawn and the flight of ducks to the transparency of water, reflecting a deep appreciation for the natural world and the passage of time. The notebook, described as having once been the bark of a tree and the wall of a cave, symbolizes a connection to the past and the universal human quest to articulate the beauty of existence. The author acknowledges that not all joys are remembered but expresses gratitude for the experiences that enrich life, such as the ink of a pen, a hot shower, the rush of urgency, sunflower fields, black piano keys, and the various names one is called throughout life. The essay concludes with the notion that the act of writing a list of reasons to live is a timeless human endeavor, with the notebook destined to pass from hand to hand, inspiring imagination and reflection.

Opinions

  • The author finds profound joy in simple, everyday experiences.
  • Writing is portrayed as both a source of joy and a means to capture and preserve it.
  • The notebook serves as a symbol of continuity and shared human experience, transcending time and space.
  • The act of remembering and revisiting joys is seen as an essential part of living fully.
  • There is an appreciation for the natural world and its role in providing moments of joy.
  • The essay suggests that the search for reasons to live is a fundamental aspect of the human condition.
  • The author expresses gratitude for life's experiences, both ordinary and extraordinary.
  • The inclusion of Italian text alongside the English reflects a multicultural or bilingual perspective on life's joys.
  • The mention of Scribe and a link to another essay indicates the author's engagement with a broader community of writers and readers.

Everyday Stories #22

A List of Joys

I filled out the notebook

Photo by Author

The joy of writing is a joy. Walking is a joy, too. And hold hands, yet another.

The silence the dawn the flight of the ducks the transparency of the water.

I bought a notebook at the corner stationery store. I linger in front of the window. Every time. It has red frames.

On the glass I have learned to recognize the reflections of those who are no longer there. Of those who have passed before me. And the clouds flow across the sky, a black and white film. Behind my back.

I filled out the notebook of a precious meticulous daredevil disarming unrestrainable supernatural disharmonic wagging innocent moving celestial list of joys.

I reread it. Not always not all joys are remembered.

And I thank then for the overnight ink and hot shower. For the rush, when it’s needed. For the sunflower fields, letting themselves be photographed. For the black keys on the piano. For all the names I’ve been given.

This notebook will pass from hand to hand. From sea to sea. From imagination to imagination. Because it has been the bark of a tree. And the wall of a cave. And before words.

Because isn’t that what we do every day? Since the dawn of time?

Trying to write a list of reasons to live.

A precious meticulous daredevil disarming unrestrainable supernatural disharmonic wagging innocent moving celestial list of joys.

La gioia di scrivere è una gioia. Anche camminare è una gioia. E tenersi per mano, un’altra ancora.

Il silenzio l’alba il volo delle anatre la trasparenza dell’acqua.

Ho comprato un quaderno alla cartoleria all’angolo. Mi soffermo davanti alla vetrina. Ogni volta. Ha le cornici rosse. Sul vetro ho imparato a riconoscere i riflessi di chi non c’è più. Di chi è passato prima di me. E le nuvole scorrono in cielo, una pellicola in bianco e nero. Dietro le mie spalle.

Ho riempito il quaderno di un prezioso celeste meticoloso disarmante inarrestabile innocente disarmonico scodinzolante sovrumano commovente temerario elenco di gioie.

Lo rileggo. Non sempre non tutte le gioie si ricordano.

E ringrazio allora per l’inchiostro notturno e la doccia calda. Per la fretta, quando serve. Per i campi di girasole, che si lasciano fotografare. Per i tasti neri del pianoforte. Per tutti i nomi che mi sono stati dati.

Passerà di mano in mano questo quaderno. Di mare in mare. Di immaginazione in immaginazione. Perché è stato corteccia di un albero. E parete di una grotta. E prima delle parole.

Perché non è forse ciò che facciamo tutti i giorni? Dalla notte dei tempi?

Cercare di scrivere un elenco di motivi per vivere.

Un prezioso celeste meticoloso disarmante inarrestabile innocente disarmonico scodinzolante sovrumano commovente temerario elenco di gioie.

Thank you Thomas Gaudex for welcoming me so warmly to Scribe!

Poetry
Poetry On Medium
Joy
Reason To Live
Writing
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