What’s On My Mind?

Crazy Quilt, 1884, Brooklyn Museum. Image from Wikipedia.

This week, our resident hound asked whether or not we’ve included specifics of our daydreams into any of our stories.

I’ve been doing a lot of quilting lately, and when I saw the topic of daydreams my mind immediately went to the image of a crazy quilt. In a crazy quilt, there is no pattern at all, and the seams are often embellished. That’s sort of how my mind works. There is no rhyme or reason for the things I think of, and often at the end of the day those thoughts have often been embellished beyond recognition.

I always thought that daydreaming was when we imagined ourselves in another place or time, like when I was seven and thought I’d become a famous actress someday. I was certain I’d live in New York or Hollywood, wear designer clothing, and have servants around to take care of everyday drudgery. In the evenings I would don a designer gown and attend the latest premiere or party on the arm of a gentleman in a tuxedo. Sometimes I’d wrap a tablecloth around my waist and twirl around, picturing myself as the Belle of the Ball. I suppose you could say that in some of my historical romances, my dreams of wearing lovely gowns and attending dances and dinner parties morphed into the activities a few of my characters. Except, of course, those women probably had to wear impossibly uncomfortable corsets.

But after I looked up the word, I realize that daydreaming includes what some people would call wool-gathering. Wikipedia says: Daydreaming is the stream of consciousness that detaches from current external tasks when attention drifts to a more personal and internal direction. (Retrieved 16:03, June 28, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daydream&oldid=902701342)

Now, of course, when my mind wanders, I’m thinking about what needs to be done, how I’m going to do it, and what the end result will look like. As I wrote this blog post, I was also thinking about how to word the Acknowledgements page on a re-issue of Two Tutor Doves, answering email questions from members of a committee meeting organizing a writers workshop in August, sorting out why various websites keep locking me out, and I’m making notes to remind myself to send out cards for two of my friends. I’m also working on a birthday giveaway for next week. Will I put these thoughts in a story? Possibly. Perhaps not the exact issues I’m preoccupied with, but maybe about the frustration and worry of getting everything done in a timely manner. I did once write about a young lady who, like me, made lists each morning to make sure the various tasks she needed to do that day were completed.

I’ve always had difficulty sitting in one place for an extended period of time. Other than when I’m performing in a concert or teaching a class, my mind is always wandering. I’m not sure I’d want to include my jumbled thoughts in a story, but who knows? Maybe someday I’ll write something in which four or five different things are happening at the same time. I know that parallel plots are nothing new, but if I were to write that I’d have to really concentrate on getting all the stories coordinated. And I’m not certain I’d be able to do that.

What types of story-worthy daydreams have you had?

Advertisement