Common Things That Are Suddenly Special

Start or end your story with a character noticing the beauty in something they've seen hundreds of times.

Common Things That Are Suddenly Special 

The Pillow Book, by Sei Shōnagon She was a Japanese author who served as a court lady to the Empress Teishi in the mid-Heian period around the year 1,000 during which time she composed her pillow book which was in effect a collection of observations, impressions, opinions on everyday life in the court, including the highs and lows of aristocratic life.

After reading the book a few times, I decided I would write a memoir based on Sei Shōnagon’s Pillow Book. I loved her witty headings and I decided to use them as prompts for my own reflections. My memoir is called Common Things That are Suddenly Special.

The Pillow Book acted as a framework for me to reflect on my own life and some of the events that have shaped it. My journey can transport you from the interfaces of north Belfast to the cherry blossoms of Kyoto.

It starts with a reflection on the four seasons. Basho’s spring haiku celebrates the cherry blossoms:

A cloudy day during the cherry blossom season.

Whether the sound of bell at Ueno

Or Asakusa.

 ‘Spring Blossoms’:

This spring as I was walking down the Antrim Road, I noticed some beautiful tress. These cherry trees are in the grounds of the Antiochian Orthodox Church of St Ignatius, which was formerly St James, Church of Ireland. It is situated at the corner of Antrim Road and Cliftonville Road. I like it best in the spring and when the blossoms start to fall, they make a soft pink carpet underneath your feet, like soft pink popcorn. I have never been in this church and know nothing about their faith. After looking at their website today, I have ascertained that it is close to the Catholic faith. I do not see many differences in that they accept the Holy Trinity, the Creed, the sacraments and Mary as the mother of God.

Another prompt was ‘Plains’:

Shōnagon refers to the Mika Plain. I found this poem written by Chūn-Nagon Kanesuke which contains a reference to the Mika Plain:

OH! rippling River Izumi,

That flows through Mika plain:

The area around the Shannon River in Ireland is referred to as the central plain of Ireland where the underlying rock is limestone with a coating of glacial drift. The Burren, an area of outstanding beauty in the Shannon region, also consists of limestone. The rolling hills of the Burren are composed of limestone pavements with criss-crossing cracks known as grikes leaving isolated rocks called, clints.

Another prompt is ‘River pools’:

This entry is so refreshing to read, and it offers a moment of reflection. As Sei comments, ‘I wonder what hidden depths someone saw in its heart, to give it such a name.’ It seems as if she is making a list but as Matilda Leyser points her lists are not mere inventory:

'Even within Shonogan’s simplest lists—lists of mountains, rivers, plants, birds – we are made aware that the items being listed are not simply natural forms but linguistic constructs. The act of naming, that primal moment when a word, a sound, attaches to

a concept inside a mind, the moment when classification occurs, is dramatised'. I also found this wonderful haiku which includes the name ‘kashiko’:

blooming plum--

the voices of children

sound reverent

ume saku ya kodomo no koe no ana kashiko 

Another prompt is ‘Bodies of Water’: 

Shōnagon comments that ‘Lake Biwa is so special’. Lake Biwa, the largest freshwater lake in Japan and is on the outskirts of Kyoto. I live near a body of water known as the Waterworks. It was bombed during World War II as the Germans thought it was a reservoir. Another body of water, of which I am familiar, is Lough Neagh. It is also a large freshwater lake. It is said that Finn McCool, a figure from Irish mythology, formed the lough by scooping out the soil and flinging it at a rival Scottish giant. He missed and it landed on the middle of the Irish sea, and became known as the Isle of Man. It is interesting that the Celts talk about loughs. The Scots refer to Lochs, as in Loch Ness, where supposedly a monster resides. There is a famous lake in Sligo, known as Lake Innisfree. W.B.Yeats wrote a famous poem about it:

I will arise and go now and go to Innisfree

And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made.

Interestingly, it is known as the Lake Isle of Innisfree. Loughs and lochs seem to inspire legends about monsters and giants, whereas lakes inspire nostalgia.

Imperial Tombs was an interesting prompt:

Imperial tombs are usually associated with the Ming and Qing dynasties. In Ireland we have dolmens or portal tombs which consist of two or three standing stones and a huge capstone. There is a famous dolmen in the Burren called Poulnabrone. It dates back to the Neolithic period and was probably used for ceremonies and rituals.

Ferry crossings made me think of a local ferry:

I have crossed over from Portaferry to Strangford many times, and I have fond memories of making this trip. Van Morrison wrote a song, ‘Coney Island’ which refers to Strangford:

Out all day birdwatching

And the craic was good

Stopped off at Strangford Lough

Early in the morning

Drove through Shrigley taking pictures

And on to Killyleagh

Since 1998, we have many new buildings in Belfast, for example, The Victoria Centre, The Waterfront Hall and the Odyssey. I love them all, especially The Waterfront, as I have gone to really good events there, including End Game, by Samuel Beckett and Othello by William Shakespeare. I saw it in the Waterfront in March and there were a few schools in attendance during the performance.  

So by Sei Shōnagon’s book helped me to notice beauty in places and buildings that I had seen hundreds of times before. I no longer took my environment for granted for when I made the time to notice and appreciate my city and the landscape, I realised that I was lucky to live in such an interesting place. I never realised how much there was to see and appreciate all around me.