Memoir
/ˈmemˌwär/ noun. a record of events written by a person having intimate knowledge of them and based on personal observation. Usually memoirs. an account of one's personal life and experiences; autobiography. the published record of the proceedings of a group or organization, as of a learned society.
Week 18’s prompt is about the little things in life. These simple pleasures are often things we accumulate throughout our years that add an extra spark of joy to even the most mundane of our days. I’m looking forward to reading more about yours.
Memoir Monday has grown so much that I won’t be able to comment on everyone’s posts anymore (and get my own work done) but I’ll still be supporting your posts with reblogs, votes, and shares on my other social media accounts (X, Facebook, etc.).
For all of those who’ve regularly participated in Memoir Monday - keep going, you’re making great progress in chronicling your very own life story for future generations to enjoy.
For those who missed the inaugural post explaining what the Memoir Monday initiative is all about you can find it here.
Now for next week’s Memoir Monday prompt:
What simple pleasures of life do you truly enjoy?
My answer:
There are several simple pleasures I’ve grown to enjoy in my fifty-three years on Earth. What first comes to mind are the daily, ritualistic pleasures. Weirdly, many of my daily rituals revolve around beverages.
I like that first strong cup of coffee in the morning with breakfast, a mug of clouds and mist green tea during quiet moments of writing or reading, or the glass of red wine with dinner. My favorite wines these days are from the Sardinian region of Italy.
This wine particular wine is one of my favorites. It’s inexpensive, delicious, goes with almost anything, and has a higher level of antioxidants than most red wines due to how the grapes are grown.
When I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed by life in general nothing soothes me like a walk in the woods or a ride on my 1958 Raleigh Sports bike. When I found this bike in 2012 on Craigslist it was a complete wreck and have had great fun restoring it over the past decade. I’ve sourced original parts from all over the world to complete it. It’s been like assembling a puzzle that I can ride.
There’s just something special about riding this old bike that never fails to ground me and put a smile on my face. Maybe there’s a stronger emotional connection to it because of all the hours I’ve spent working on it. I plan on keeping this for the rest of my life. When I can no longer ride (hopefully many decades from now) it’ll be moved inside as an art piece.
I also really enjoy camping, a backyard fire, quiet moments in nature, feeling a cool breeze wash over me on a warm summer day, or watching the dark and foreboding clouds of a thunderstorm rolling in. It’s also satisfying to plant and tend to a garden and then revel in the harvest, either with my senses of sight and smell in the case of flowering plants or my taste buds in the case of edible plants.
There are a few television shows that are also simple pleasures of mine. I really enjoy the Scottish comedy Still Game and some of the older Mr. Bean episodes but can’t really explain why. Maybe because so much of my ancestral DNA is from the UK? All I know is both of them thoroughly entertain me on some fundamental and subconscious level.
Travel is also very high on my list of simple pleasures, the less extravagant the better. When I travel I get the most enjoyment from the off-the-beaten path activities. Some of my best memories are strolling the streets of Montreal, London, Amsterdam, and Ireland with no real destination, just taking it all in.
I still have to pinch myself whenever I take these trips. I can’t seem to shake the awe that I’m actually able to experience these amazing places and am very grateful for the opportunity. Everything from the research to the planning of a trip is thoroughly enjoyable to me. There’s something about exploring a place I’ve never been that lights up my soul and makes me feel utterly content. There’s nothing quite like sitting on a restaurant patio in some foreign country while watching the locals go through the motions of their lives, and immersing yourself as much as possible in their culture.
Next is probably the most peculiar thing on my list, shining shoes. My Father taught me how to do this when I was really young so each time I shine shoes it reminds me of him. Being a writer my work ends up being intangible arrangement of words on a page, the feelings and reactions those words evoke in others can be tangible but I rarely get to witness this. When I shine a pair of my shoes I see a real, physical outcome of the work I’ve done and to me that is deeply rewarding.
Last but not least is watch collecting. I’ve collected timepieces for over thirty years. Learning about watches and connecting with others who share the hobby has been a lot of fun for me over the years. I own watches more rare and worth more than this 1918 Elgin Pershing trench watch but this is my favorite. It rarely gets wrist time these days because the movement isn’t anti-magnetic so if you get close to any magnet whatsoever it won’t keep accurate time anymore and has to be sent to a watchmaker to demagnetize. Sadly, magnets are everywhere today in our modern world.
As I get older I’m finding how I’m enjoying these simple pleasures and quiet moments more and more. These things add so much to the enjoyment of daily life.
Rules of Engagement
- Please reblog this first post and share on other social platforms so we cast the widest net possible for this initiative;
- Pictures paint a thousand words. Include pictures in your posts if you have them;
- Answer each Memoir Monday prompt question in your own post. If possible, the prompt question will be published in the week prior so you'll have the entire week to answer and publish your own post;
- Have fun with it, don't worry about getting behind, or jumping into the project at any point after we've begun; and
- Lastly, be sure to include the tag #memoirmonday.
It's that simple.
At the end of the next twelve months we'll have created something immensely valuable together. It's so important to know our "whys" in life and there's no better way to do that than this.
Someday all that will be left of our existence are memories of us, our deeds, and words. It's up to you to leave as rich of a heritage as possible for future generations to learn from. So, go ahead, tell your stories. I can't wait to read them.
Be well and make the most of this day. I want to sincerely thank all of the participants thus far. I've really enjoyed reading your posts!
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