A place to begin
Picture: The main feature of the room in which I am writing this is a glass pyramid on the roof. It looks like Christmas all year.
In his 1794 book ‘A journey round my room’ the writer Xavier de Maistre treats the room to which he is confined on 42 days’ house arrest - his home - as the setting for a story about the pleasure to be found in one’s own surroundings. He writes 42 chapters, one for each day of his incarceration. He describes trips to his sofa, his bed, his armchair, and his dog. He describes the ‘zig-zag’ nature of his route around the room, drawing constant reference to the joys his home brings him. When describing the times he has spent in his armchair he notes that “the hours glide by and fall into eternity, without making their sad passage felt.”
I had never heard of ‘A journey around my room’ until I mentioned to a friend - another sailor - that generally I did not enjoy travelling, instead finding joy in my day to day life, without feeling the need to ‘go places’. “You should read that book ‘A journey around my room’ by that philosopher”, he said.
I have started to, and it is rather charming.
It reminds me of a favourite novel of mine - ‘Life, a user’s manual’ - in which another French author Georges Perec situates a set of intertwined (and some absolutely epic) stories within the constraint that the characters be drawn only from the inhabitants (past, present and future) of a single Paris apartment block. I am drawn to stories like this. Most of my favourite films, books and series are ones in which the everyday takes centre stage, and in which not a great deal happens. The compelling central story in Perec’s ‘Life…’ (without spoilers) follows an arc that encapsulates the duality of perspectives in these blogs. It is, at once, about grand trips, and about the day to day. Both hold an equally important role in a life, fulfilled.
Beata has written in her first blog of the goodbyes she said in Hungary to her family. Over the last few weeks she has also said goodbye to many of her friends and work colleagues. She is leaving home for some time. She will live in Misty the boat, and see the world. No more ‘goodbye’. Lots of ‘hello’.
While she does this, I’ll be here, at home. Quite a lot of the time I’ll be in the room I am in now. It is our living room. I love it here. It is my place for music, and reading, and films, and exercise, and cats, and friends. And fairy lights.
I might write about it.
Shaun
Early November, 2022.
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