A Pin is Worth a Thousand Words: Finding the Narrative

But there's a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking.

~ Mitch Albom, For One More Day

In December, I am continuing (barely) to participate in the Two Pages-a-Day writing challenge.  And trying desperately to get in a holiday mood.

N

arratives can be found anywhere.

The other night I had a dream that was literally a narrative.  There were two characters walking towards me as if towards a camera, and narrating away like my dream was a Nat Geo docudrama.

Those are the days I wish I slept hooked up to a sci-fi machine that could transcribe your dreams as they’re happening.  On the other hand, this also might be rather terrifying for the people reading them.  Or titillating.  Depends on what I read, ate, or watched before going to bed.

But not all stories come from dreams.  Sometimes, they come from Pinterest.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words…Literally

Or to be more specific, a picture I saw on Pinterest.

Because let’s be honest, all of us who have been sucked into the black hole that is Pinterest know we spend way too much time drooling over Dream Homes, Dream Vacations, Ideal Bathrooms, and Healthy Recipes to Reach Our  Ideal Weight.

All while munching on a carbalicious cupcake in a dimly lit, 1980s creeptastic kitchen, in a ratty bathrobe.

And that’s when the real magic happens.

Image credit: Pinterest

Take this picture.

Normal people see a beautiful scene and think, “Ahhh, I would love to travel to Portugal some day….”

Not me.  Nooooo.  I saw it and thought:

Enjoy your stay in a romantic bed and breakfast, with a breathtaking view.  What you don’t know is that the room is so cramped, that only a small cot fits in there along with the romantically placed table and chairs.  Said chairs turn your butt into a numb pile of ricotta cheese, and one chair leg bent in half the first time you sat on it.  And then there is smog and car fumes drifting in through the window.  Which causes you to choke on the hard roll and tar-like coffee that passes for breakfast in Europe.

See?  Narrative.  Snarky, MST3K narrative, but narrative nonetheless.

Now, I could have chosen to take this narrative in a completely different direction.  Perhaps this is the hotel room of a potential murder victim.  Or of a woman trying to get over heartbreak or trauma. You are only limited by your imagination.

And possibly the amount of snark brought on by what you dreamed about or just ate.

Oremus pro invicem,

~ Mikaela

What narratives do you see around you right now?  Keep a watch out ~ they’re happening all the time!