In the book The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, author John Koenig compiles a list of definitions for emotions we are yet to name. His definitions explore the intricacies of human life, and he beautifully captures the rawest parts of human existence. This book brings light to nameless feelings, and after every read, I’m left in the most melancholic state of being.
One of my favourite parts of the book is where Koenig talks about “the heartbreaking simplicity of ordinary things.” He reflects on the passage of time, and how life isn’t full of moments of transcendence. He writes:
“We don’t leave behind little plaques to commemorate the milestones of ordinary time:
HERE ON THE TWENTY FIFTH OF MARCH
NINETEEN HUNDRED AND NINETY FOUR
SOME NEIGHBORS WENT OUT WALKING THEIR DOGS
THE CHILDREN TOOK TURNS HOLDING THE LEASH
IT WAS A FUN AFTERNOON FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED
But it all still happened…Perhaps we should try keeping our eyes open while we pray, and look for the meaning hidden in the things right in front of us.”
The first time I read this passage, I didn’t know it would be the first of 100 times to come. Those words stuck with me, and I’ve begun to look for the little plaques that celebrate life’s ordinary milestones everywhere I go.
In some settings, it is easier for our minds to choose to celebrate the little milestones. In my case, I had the privilege of visiting Paris this weekend. For the duration of my trip, I was contemplating why we have coined this city the city of love. Yes, Paris is exquisite, but why exactly is this the hotspot for romance?
I realized that people create an ambiance that fosters celebrating ordinary life in Paris, full of people-watching and daydreaming. Yet this ambiance is not innate to Paris, as it is formed by people who wish to seek out love in the city.
For example, bridges and stairwells of the city are covered in locks from couples who have decided to leave their mark. So much intent has gone into those locks, from the act of first purchasing a lock to getting one’s hands on a pen, to signing initials and picking the perfect spot. I’m sure a large chunk of those locks belong to couples that have broken up, but there’s something so wholesome about that token of adoration. In Paris, that moment existed, and now exists for an eternity. These locks serve as a little plaque to celebrate the milestones of ordinary love and ordinary life.
Seeing so many locks inspires the same sense of appreciation for the seemingly ordinary as the plaque that John described above. The locks yell at you to feel the love. The locks force you to understand that there is beauty in simplicity through the hundreds of thousands of people who have left their plaque for the public to see. You simply have no choice but to sit in the pureness of humanity.
Many people won’t have the privilege of seeing the locks, or Paris, within their lifetime, yet the celebration of ordinary life that exists in Paris is in no way confined to the city’s borders. Wherever you are, whoever you are, there will always be people who you get to share wholesome moments with. There will always be love. There will always be artists. There will always be musicians. There will always be people. Even if you aren’t surrounded by locks of love, there are little plaques commemorating life everywhere, if you choose to look.