Memoir

/ˈmemˌwär/ noun. a record of events written by a person having intimate knowledge of them and based on personal observation. Usually memoirs. an account of one's personal life and experiences; autobiography. the published record of the proceedings of a group or organization, as of a learned society.

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We’re on the cusp of week twenty-three of Memoir Monday. I thank all of you who’ve participated in this initiative so far. It’s been the most rewarding thing I’ve done on the blockchain. I feel like I’m learning a lot not only about you but of the world through your posts. When contemplating this prompt I knew, immediately, what I’d be writing about but I found it difficult to choose just one day of the experience. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. Whenever I think about my time in London it feels like a dream and all I can do is smile.

Memoir Monday has grown so much that I won’t be able to comment on everyone’s posts anymore (and get my own work done) but I’ll still be supporting your posts with reblogs, votes, and shares on my other social media accounts (X, Facebook, etc.).

For all of those who’ve regularly participated in Memoir Monday - keep going, you’re making great progress in chronicling your very own life story for future generations to enjoy.

For those who missed the inaugural post explaining what the Memoir Monday initiative is all about you can find it here.

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Now for next week’s Memoir Monday prompt:

What do you consider one of the best days you can remember?

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My answer:

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It was May of 2019, just months before the pandemic changed the world. My wife and I had started planning our first trip to London six months prior. For months we binged YouTube videos on the best areas of London to stay and things to do. We settled on an Airbnb in the Theatre District of Covent Garden. We had been to a few European cities before this trip but this trip was extra special.

I couldn't believe I was actually there. You see, I’ve had this ongoing fascination with England and British culture since I was a boy. Something about it was strangely familiar. In the 1970’s and early 80’s my brother and I watched Benny Hill, Are You Being Served?, The Monty Python Show, and several others. I even created a comic strip as a boy called, “Snibbly” that was set in England about a bumbling middle-aged man and his beagle. I think the comic strip ended up being slightly autobiographical.

We spent nine full days in London and we saw quite a bit of the city from our little home base in Covent Garden. This trip was a succession of magical moments from the start, as we were riding in our Uber from Heathrow to our Airbnb we passed by Buckingham Palace just in time to see a procession of the Royal Guard.

Picture taken from the window of our Uber.

During our stay we visited a few of the touristy sites, and had afternoon tea at the Savoy Hotel.

I had a slice of the best cake I’ve had in my life at Harrods. It was called a Russian honey cake. Even though my tastes usually lean more towards savory, I devoured it.

We toured Westminster Abbey as well.

Inner courtyard of the Abbey.

We spent an entire day walking up and down both sides of the Thames.

The Tower of London

We also met up with a couple of friends, who are English natives, on two different days. Each of them were gracious enough to show us around different parts of the city. We toured Portobello Market and SoHo with my friend Rollie and his family. Rollie even took us for a pint at his favorite neighborhood pub, which was built in the 1600’s. The next day our friend Ophelia and her family took the train down from Birmingham to spend the day showing us Kensington Park and some of the museums in London. These were among the best memories we came home with.

Portobello Market

The parakeets of Kensington Park

I’d have to say the day that was the most fulfilling for me, personally, was the day we wandered the streets, exploring all of London’s historical nooks and crannies with real no destination.

These walks were deeply satisfying to me in a way that was unexplainable. It felt like a kind of homecoming.

There are layers upon layers of history in this city.

Unlike a lot of large, touristy cities we’ve visited, the soul of this great city is still very palpable.

London has survived thousands of years of invasions, wars, famine, waves of poverty, fires, and more recently waves of gentrification.

The picture below is the last one taken of our trip just before we walked to our Airbnb to catch our last night of sleep before we were off to the airport the next morning.

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As I sat there on the curb, drinking that hot coffee across from the Covent Garden Market my head was spinning and my heart was aching at the thought of leaving. That ache is the true mark of a successful trip. This means that you’ve been changed by the experience and also left a small piece of your old self behind. I knew there would be so many things I’d miss about the city and that the longing that would call me back someday.

Soon we'd be swept back into the current of life and would be left with only these memories. This is precisely why I travel because these experiences allow us to deepen our understanding of the world and of ourselves. Travel simply makes us better humans and planet Earth needs all of these it can possibly get.

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Rules of Engagement

1. Please reblog this first post and share on other social platforms so we cast the widest net possible for this initiative;
2. Pictures paint a thousand words. Include pictures in your posts if you have them;
3. Answer each Memoir Monday prompt question in your own post. If possible, the prompt question will be published in the week prior so you'll have the entire week to answer and publish your own post;
4. Have fun with it, don't worry about getting behind, or jumping into the project at any point after we've begun; and
5. Lastly, be sure to include the tag #memoirmonday.

It's that simple.

At the end of the next twelve months we'll have created something immensely valuable together. It's so important to know our "whys" in life and there's no better way to do that than this.

Someday all that will be left of our existence are memories of us, our deeds, and words. It's up to you to leave as rich of a heritage as possible for future generations to learn from. So, go ahead, tell your stories. I can't wait to read them.

Be well and make the most of this day. I want to sincerely thank all of the participants thus far. I've really enjoyed reading your posts!

~Eric Vance Walton~

(All photos are original.)

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