This March I will be participating in the mont
h-long Slice of Life Challenge. Each day I will be posting a ‘slice’ from my life. This year I am using Natalie Goldberg’s book Old Friend from Far Away: The Practice of Writing Memoir to provide my sparks for memoir writing. Each post will be a quick write using one of Natalie’s exercises to practice noticing and remembering.
GO FIND SOMETHING ORDINARY AND TELL US ABOUT IT.
Look around you. What is something ‘ordinary’ that you really haven’t given two thoughts about. Give it two thoughts-or three. Notice something that never gets noticed.
litcoachlady 
Two things struck me about this- one, I also leave receipts in the bottom of the bag and I’ve never considered what kind of germs are lurking there. I don’t usually wash the bag out unless something spilled. I also love that you acknowledged the struggle to remember to bring the reusable bag to the car. This happens all the time when I have to make a quick stop on the way home and don’t have a bag with me. Thanks for making me consider simple things in my life that I don’t give much thought to. Will be paying close attention today!
I was really struck by this exercise to increase my mindful practice-hadn’t contemplated “stuff” as a source of mindfulness. It was interesting, now I’m looking around and wondering what else is ubiquitous in my life that I have never really noticed.
I have bags that I keep in my car for shopping. It’s not a common practice around me, but I’ve gotten in the habit of opening my trunk before going into the store to pick out a few bags. Who knows what little I’m doing with this gesture, but I feel good about it. They sure hold more than plastic bags. If I were writing about them, though, I would have to write about how my kitten loves to play in them, so they are full of white kitten hair. I really should clean them.
Haaa! Perfect use…a kitten playground!
I adore that you wrote about a reusable bag. There are so many stories in the objects we choose to surround ourselves with.
We are truly surrounded by “things”. I know we can’t always notice them, but what happens we take some time to try it?
Excellent slice, poor dull little shopping bag is probably feeling unremarkable and very unnoticed! I like how you gave it a personality of sorts….I will definitely try to think of something ordinary to write about for tomorrow!!
Great example of something very ordinary but really extraordinary in many ways! I have difficulty remembering to put the bags back into my car so I can use them when I shop. I must get better at this. I think I might try a “How to Be” poem about an ordinary shopping bag!
I love reusable bags and am a walking advertisement for them while loading mine at Winco. Like you, I use the bags for books, and stored magazines in them when teaching. We keep ours hanging in the garage so we can grab them on our way to the store. I also always have at least one in my car.
Now I’m thinking about the ordinary things I should tell stories about, things that also have stories to tell.
The detail in your slice is what struck me. This would be a great prompt for kids who need practice with writing details and using a variety of adjectives or exploring the key concept Form. Thanks!
Once again, you’ve given us a prompt for those “bone-dry” days. Thanks for that. I just read an article about how many times we have to use those plastic bags to justify their being, well, plastic. I’m with you, though, I definitely use the heck out of them. p.s. I do wash mine out. They never look as good as when I first bought them, but as you said, “…but this one…wrinkled and dull” [command, asks, reminds] me, too! Great post!
You teach me so many ideas. Thanks so. Much
Your slice is a lovely stream of consciousness- all the things that run through our heads! I’d say it is indeed worth it!
I have bought about 6 of these in hopes to “remember” them- I really need to just leave them in the car! Unpack, run out to car, shop when needed, repeat!