Dear Franz
Hope you have found ways of keeping sane during this difficult time of lockdown. I know its hard being alone but hey…here is an opportunity to invest in yourself, understand and upgrade.
I was talking to a friend this morning and he said something that remained with me. He said people generally do not want to invest in others. I understood the meaning of the statement, in its complete sense, a little later in the day. I follow a blog by this truly prolific writer. He writes short stories, flash fiction- around life and relationships. His simple and direct writing style has made him hugely popular. The last two days however, his blog speaks about memories around an object in his home, encouraging readers to share their own around similar objects close to their heart. It was a good piece, non-fiction and written in first person (something about a perpetual calendar). Yet, it lacked the aura that one usually found in his writing. Like the moon should one day, look a tad paler. There were a few comments; fewer answered his call to share their personal experiences. I couldn’t help but realize that his readers loved his work so long as it showed them an alternate world that was distinct, yet familiar. A world they could identify with without calling it their own. Like sitting on the edge of a cool river with their feet dipped in, minus the duress to jump in or return home. Like an office goer at a corporate office goes to the water cooler or the coffee vending machine for a breather. They didn’t particularly want to know how the writer had acquired say, a Peanuts perpetual calendar from a Hallmark store in Chicago. Or a memory surrounding a ladle in his kitchen. Memories are subjective. Its hard for others to identify with them or exhibit sustained level of interest.
People do not want to invest in others.
Unless they want to go that extra mile because…
the person is close, physically or emotionally.
Or the person spends the most time with them.
Or because something passes wordlessly between them on an ordinary day…
..something that’s exciting and unsettling in equal measure.
Stay positive, Franz. I will be with you soon.
Laura
Vanilla Hues 