John Marsden Writing Topic #440
‘Hell is the denial of the ordinary.’ (John Ciardi) Do you agree? Design your personal hell**
This phrase defines hell or a personal hell as ‘the ordinary’, however I don’t agree that hell is the denial of the ordinary, I think it’s the opposite. I think hell is the awareness of the ordinary and being stuck in it.
By this definition I’m living in my own personal hell as my life is nothing but ordinary. I’m not quite where I want to be career-wise at the moment and for the last two(ish) years all I’ve done is work so I can pay my bills. I currently have no love or social life and I haven’t experienced many solo adventures or travels due to working and commuting to work, and before that studying full-time for five years.
Therefore my personal hell would be simply designed as being forced to live my life in the same routine without any change or being unable to change until the day I die.
**Reference: Marsden J 1998, Everything I Know About Writing, Pan Macmillan, Australia.
Loveday Writing 