Finding Stories in Strange Places
Sometimes you find a story when you least expect it.
On the bridge near the automall, North Vancouver. Photo: Tanya Clarke 2021
I Never Expected to be Here
Have you ever found yourself somewhere you did not expect to be?
Just this morning, I dropped my car off for a service at the dealership not far from our home. I drove into the car park on the dot - 9am my appointment time.
"Will you be waiting here or will you leave and come back?" said the man on the service reception desk.
"How long will it take?" I said, thinking it would take about an hour.
"So we'll be doing a full service for you today. I usually say about three hours."
"Oh," I said. "Then I'll leave and come back."
"It'll be around lunchtime," he said. "Here's my card with my number if you have any questions. We'll see you later."
"Okay, great. Thanks," I said. "See you then."
The only problem with this scenario was that although it took me only 10 minutes to drive to the dealership, it would take me 55 minutes to walk home. Not one to deliberate too much on these sorts of things - most people would've got a cab or a bus - I set off walking.
About ten minutes later, I decide to text my husband asking for a lift. He was working from home and on a call. I figured he would get my message and at some convenient time, he could get back to me.
After walking over the bridge you see in the picture above, I arrived at a small retail park where a woman sat by herself eating a burger and chips at a table in the sunshine. It was 9.20 in the morning. I am not one to judge a person's eating habits. If I could eat fries for breakfast, I probably would. Maybe she's a shift worker and her waking hours are not the same as mine. And anyway. There's that saying: Eat breakfast like a king, eat lunch like a lord, eat supper like a pauper. Or something like that.
Five minutes later, my husband pulled up. I had my lift home.
~~~
For this week, write a story about how you ended up in a place you hadn't expected to be. You could make something up. Your story doesn't have to be exactly true but you might want to start with something that did happen. Sometimes it is easier that way. Let your story meander and drift. There's no need when you're trying to find ideas to spend time thinking something up. That's hard work and not a whole lot of fun. Instead, try to let your mind relax and allow thoughts and images to come to you.
Where were you when you found yourself somewhere you hadn't expected to be? Who were you with? What did you notice?
If those images seem a jumble of nonsense, don’t worry. Like the woman eating a burger and fries for breakfast, go with it, nourish your story. Not everything has to make sense. But it will matter.
Write it down, write it down, write it down.
Until next time.
