That would be a different impulse entirely, an instinct for reality which I sometimes envy but do not possess. At no point have I ever been able successfully to keep a diary; my approach to daily life ranges from the grossly negligent to the merely absent, and on those few occasions when I have tried dutifully to record a day's events, boredom has so overcome me that the results are mysterious at best. What is this business about shopping, typing piece, dinner with E, depressed? Shopping for what? Typing what piece? Who is E? Was this E depressed, or was I depressed? Who cares?
In this excerpt from "Slouching Towards Bethlehem," Joan Didion reflects on her inability to maintain a diary, revealing her struggle to accurately document her daily life. She describes her approach as inconsistent, often veering between negligence and absence, indicating a disconnect with the mundane aspects of her existence. Didion expresses a sense of envy towards those who can capture reality more effectively.
As she tries to recount her daily events, she finds herself overwhelmed by boredom, questioning the significance of mundane tasks like shopping and writing. Her entries feel cryptic, filled with vague references to people and emotions, raising questions about her experiences and the meaning behind them. Didion's perspective reveals a complexity in her relationship with reality and memory, highlighting the challenges of articulating the everyday.
