An Ode to the Mundane

If one were to ask acquaintances of Juliet to describe her in a single word, the most likely answer one would get would be “different”. Admittedly, she had a very particular way of going about her life. Unlike her peers, she was quite disenchanted by the prospects of adulthood. Children, mortgages, marriage — mere inconveniences rather than something to strive towards. A reality that lacked “a sense of necessity“ as she liked to put it. Nothing Juliet would ever want to partake in.

The girl’s discontentment was what got her to set out on an odyssey of self-exploration, shaping her now passion for the written word. A medium she considered to be the holy grail of artistic expression, urging her to spend just about every minute of her spare time further honing her skills. Quite early on in her journey, she came to realize that for a writer to truly flourish in their craft, it wasn’t enough to rely on the ability of one’s imagination alone. Much like with the practice of photography, or really any branch of the visual arts for that matter, devotees of the literary realm were to seek the muse in the everyday. More often than not, it was the arbitrariness of the real world that made for the most compelling narratives.

As fate would have it, Juliet happened to possess a real talent for drawing inspiration from the mundane. Take for instance that recent essay of hers, based on her sighting of two pigeons fighting it out over the remains of a breadstick. An event that would go unnoticed by most, Juliet interpreted as an incisive parable for the political turmoil that pervaded this year’s mayoral election. A way of perceiving the world that led her to hold a dim view of what people commonly referred to as “writer’s block”. How was an author to ever run out of things to write, considering that each and every one of us is surrounded by an ever-present — and seemingly never-ending — stream of stories from which to derive ideas? All one had to do was pay attention.

Needless to say, certain occasions were more apt than others in delivering on this premise. Nothing quite like being audience to the vibrant atmosphere of big city cafés. Where else was she to encounter such potpourri of characters and award-worthy exchanges. Like the new hire having her first meltdown during rush hour, or the bratty high schooler causing said meltdown by ordering what sounded like a 7-year-old’s attempt at coming up with a new ice-cream flavor. Let’s not forget about the sleazy-looking telemarketer trying to talk his work buddy into a “totally fool-proof” investment opportunity — the cliquish group of Chinese seniors meeting up for their weekly mahjong session — or the phone-obsessed It girl casually feeding shortbread to the five-pound Pomeranian she carried around in her designer handbag. It filled Juliet with joy to watch all these little stories unfold, letting the fruits of her observations serve as the guiding compass for her creative endeavors.