Sunday, 01 January 2012

• The Memoirs of a Nobody

  The title comes from a writing project I've been considering for a few months, which is a development of an idea I've had for a long time.  For some odd reason, since I was about 20, I've thought of writing my memoirs.  At the time, of course, the idea was truly absurd, because what the hell could a 20-year-old have to write memoirs about?  Aside from that was the obvious fact that I was, and remain, a Nobody.  Who would care about my memoirs?  Still, down the years, I've thought my memoirs would be interesting, not because of who I am, but because of the content.

  The development of the idea that I think makes the project worthwhile (I still consider it hubris to think that my memoirs - in the classic sense [and now I am creating the writing mortal sin of putting a parenthesis within a parenthesis within a parenthesis] - would be of any interest to anybody not myself) is that I would write not about my life, but about the world in which my life has taken place.  It would be more the memoirs of a time and place, as seen by an anonymous viewer of that time and place.

  Still, one could argue that the memoirs of a Nobody - just a regular guy struggling with regular guy issues - could be more interesting and more relevant than the memories of some famous dude.  Most of us are Nobodies.  What do we have in common with the Famous and Powerful?  What truly helpful lessons can we draw from their lives?  Face it, they live in a different world than we Nobodies.  They can rent $15,000/month apartments for their dogs.  We Nobodies have to work half a year to make that much money.  The thoughts and dreams of a Nobody, his take on the world around us, can be helpful.

  So this is The Memoirs of a Nobody.  I am not going to structure the posts and limit myself to any topics.  I am sure I will write as much about the present and the future as about the past.  So this will be a Memoirs going forward.  When you read it ten years from now - if anyone cares to - my current thoughts of present and future will serve as memoirs.

  Having run out of anything worthwhile to say, I will stop.  Except to say, the New Year's Eve party was fun, and now I am ready to go forward into the new year, and try to scratch out a living in a time and a place where that is becoming more and more difficult every day for us Nobodies.

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