Welcome to Musings and Miscellany

The Why and the What

I consider myself a willing and wide-eyed witness to the charms of this world. Despite all reports to the contrary from popular media, I do believe the world is full of whimsy, wonder and immeasurable charm. As I was contemplating making a ‘room of one’s own’ on Substack, I pondered what would I ever write about? The infamous THEY advise that you must find a niche-a lane on which to travel, a topic in which to become a subject matter expert. It only takes a quick roll through Substack to realize there are so many exceptional writers brilliantly exploring the minutiae of their topics. It can become intimidating if you give it too much thought. Which is exactly what I am attempting NOT to do-give it too much thought. I use Instagram to wax poetic about the books I am interested in. That is fun enough, but I do happen to have other non-book related thoughts on a regular basis. Varied thoughts, not particularly consequential, but thoughts, nonetheless. One could call them musings. 

Musings, what a perfect word. Thoughts on which you have meditated, pondered, or contemplated. Introspective. A period of reflection or thought. The archaic meaning is to wonder or marvel. How wonderful it is to marvel at anything in this opinion-specific, POV-laden modern world. Yes, sign me up for that. Simple marveling. As we visit together, you may discern that I am a little bit of a word nerd. Words come to me often unsolicited and when they do, I make sure to check the definition since I cannot often pinpoint where I heard a word and if I am using it correctly. Was it in an old book I read, a classic movie perhaps? I have had words come to me in dreams that I had no idea I even knew the word. That is my level of strange-harmless, but admittedly nerdy. As I considered this wonderful, mellifluous word, I realized it gave me freedom to ditch the niche. I can put forth whatever nonviolent, lucid thoughts that run across my brain. I choose to become a subject matter expert of nothing particular. 

Just to reinforce that Calliope may have actually whispered in my ear, a second encounter occurred later that week while watching a Ken Burns documentary. It mentioned the first entry in the new diary received by a young girl for her birthday. She wrote: It seems to me that later on neither I nor anyone else will be interested in the musings of a 13-year-old schoolgirl. This simple sentence was the inauspicious literary beginning of Anne Frank.  

There it was- twice in one week-musings, a word once at it’s zenith circa 1850. For Anne, of course, her statement was sadly ironic. Her teenage musings are the remnants of a history as extraordinary as the hieroglyphics within the pyramids. Her musings are proof that she existed, that her eyes saw the world and her magnificent mind synthesized her gaze into words that we still read today. 

I do not anticipate my musings to be as history-making or as eloquent, but I will submit them here anyway. I will celebrate the marvelous within the mundane. A natural introvert, I relish the role of silent observer. But if that famous diary taught us anything, it is that the simple act of recorded observation allows the ordinary to become extraordinary within the context of the history happening around it. So, if I see something, I will say something. 

So let us ponder and marvel. Although I cannot be sure of what topics we will explore; I can promise that this will be a safe place, free from the divisive topics that already clutter your feed (and mine). I will stay clear of all of it. There are platforms for that if that is what you want because I. JUST.CANT. I do not plan to offend or provoke, unless you have strong feelings about quirky subjects like The Wonderful World of Jeff Goldblum, Ken Burns documentaries or an irrational disdain of poetry that does not rhyme. I choose to be inquisitive and interested, not incendiary. I prefer to discover, not debate. I am much more a lover (of words, of beauty, of life) than a fighter (to be heard, to be seen, to be right).  

So welcome to OUR salon. Let us amuse ourselves by observing this marvelous world together.