I've started and stopped this script far too many times- sometimes the cycles reaching a few paragraphs in my mind before they ever met the dreaded cursor on my keyboard, dancing forward a few strokes before an inevitable retreat. A retreat from the ramble that's been pent up for months, and now has too many thoughts to coherently structure into a single post.
So, here we are. Staring at the computer's impatient heartbeat, the blinking text cursor that at least has the decency to remain private between the two of us, rather than iMessage's betrayal of a thought still in process. We're here to capture the human side of things, the personal reflection of the current reality- that history is underway.
It's an arrogant thought, and a daunting one, but I can't see it being anything but the truth. History is underway. We are living through a time that our children and grandchildren will one day read about. So how do we react? Do we chronicle it, documenting the moments, so our descendents can hear our reflections? Or do we already overdocument our personal lives? Will this add a more personal lens, an intimate insight more than our stream of Instagrams, Facebook posts, TikToks & the like? Or is this just incredible hubris?
And if we do document, how? Knowing that what we write today could be read by people in a hundred years, or our own teenage children one day- what do we want to be known for? Does our consciousness of the gravity of the situation distort it beyond truths- each of us taking on the personas of who we want to be, rather than who we are?
The practical elements of documentation are easier than ever- with people engaging on every social media platform, taking notes on our ever present smartphones, capturing voice memos, or even, as one of my friends does, taking a one second video each day to capture a moment. So, in reality, it's my overthinking more than anything that's holding me back.
It's this blinking cursor that continues to say "well...?" and stare at me over its glasses. What are you overthinking these days?
_______________________________
1918: Influenza Diaries from the Smithsonian- my favorite quote is
"It was announced in the papers tonight that all churches, shows and schools would be closed until further notice, to prevent Spanish influenza from spreading. Good idea? I’ll say it is! So will every other school kid, I calculate. … The only cloud in my sky is that the [School] Board will add the missed days on to the end of the term."
A Historian's urging for us to all journal now (in case you needed the push)
Family diaries kept during Spanish flu give Ohio descendants hope during coronavirus pandemic - or just do it for your own families!
So, here we are. Staring at the computer's impatient heartbeat, the blinking text cursor that at least has the decency to remain private between the two of us, rather than iMessage's betrayal of a thought still in process. We're here to capture the human side of things, the personal reflection of the current reality- that history is underway.It's an arrogant thought, and a daunting one, but I can't see it being anything but the truth. History is underway. We are living through a time that our children and grandchildren will one day read about. So how do we react? Do we chronicle it, documenting the moments, so our descendents can hear our reflections? Or do we already overdocument our personal lives? Will this add a more personal lens, an intimate insight more than our stream of Instagrams, Facebook posts, TikToks & the like? Or is this just incredible hubris?
And if we do document, how? Knowing that what we write today could be read by people in a hundred years, or our own teenage children one day- what do we want to be known for? Does our consciousness of the gravity of the situation distort it beyond truths- each of us taking on the personas of who we want to be, rather than who we are?
The practical elements of documentation are easier than ever- with people engaging on every social media platform, taking notes on our ever present smartphones, capturing voice memos, or even, as one of my friends does, taking a one second video each day to capture a moment. So, in reality, it's my overthinking more than anything that's holding me back.
It's this blinking cursor that continues to say "well...?" and stare at me over its glasses. What are you overthinking these days?
_______________________________
1918: Influenza Diaries from the Smithsonian- my favorite quote is
"It was announced in the papers tonight that all churches, shows and schools would be closed until further notice, to prevent Spanish influenza from spreading. Good idea? I’ll say it is! So will every other school kid, I calculate. … The only cloud in my sky is that the [School] Board will add the missed days on to the end of the term."
A Historian's urging for us to all journal now (in case you needed the push)
Family diaries kept during Spanish flu give Ohio descendants hope during coronavirus pandemic - or just do it for your own families!
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