It’s perhaps only the changes from then to now that seem interesting

5:51 A.M. (smartphonetime).

Whatever year it is — 1999, 2018, or, presumably, 1871 — things around you will seem boring when compared to, say, things in books — fic or nonfic. I mean, I have an interest now in building a picture of Rochelle circa 1871 — but there probably wasn’t actually much that happened in that year, and even less that happened on any particular day (I mean, maybe things seem more hectic now because we have more media telling us more problems from more places — well, and the madness of the president — in this day and age, huh?). So, it’s perhaps only the changes from then to now that seem interesting — fast-forwarding through all the changes from 1871 to 2018 — that would seem like a lot has happened. Surely it would seem that way if you fast-forward through time like that.

[From journal of Thurs., 27 Sept. 2018, Journal 284, pages 161-2]