In today’s Journal
Queen Elizabeth II — a minor homage
My heartfelt condolences to everyone who loved and held in high esteem Queen Elizabeth II, the gracious mother and grandmother to the world. The queen died yesterday at Balmoral in Scotland. This special edition of the Journal is dedicated to her memory.
This morning at 4 a.m. was my first time back in my writing office (the Hovel) since my wife called from the house yesterday to tell me the queen had died.
Suddenly, writing seem an unimportant, trivial matter, especially while the rest of the world is taking a collective breath and mourning with a collective sigh. Yes, life goes on, but it needn’t do so crassly, without slowing to offer a nod of respect.
The crown passed to Princess Elizabeth upon the death of her father while she was on tour in Kenya in February 1952 on his behalf. She ascended to the throne at that moment, though Winston Churchill delayed her official coronation until June, 1953.
For me personally, the queen’s passing has the greatest impact since the passing of Pope John Paul II. I’m neither British nor Catholic, but both were excellent role models and great people whom I admired and will miss. Would that we all might conduct ourselves as each of them did.
Here are a few links you might find of interest regarding the great lady.
See “Queen Elizabeth II Dies at 96 After 70 Years on the Throne” at https://www.thepassivevoice.com/queen-elizabeth-ii-dies-at-96-after-70-years-on-the-throne/.
See “Queen Elizabeth II: A life in pictures” at https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/08/queen-elizabeth-ii-a-life-in-pictures.html.
See “How Britain has changed since Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953” at https://www.thepassivevoice.com/how-britain-has-changed-since-elizabeth-ii-was-crowned-in-1953/.
See “[Operation London Bridge:] Britain’s plan for when Queen Elizabeth II dies” at https://www.politico.eu/article/queen-elizabeth-death-plan-britain-operation-london-bridge/.
For a refreshingly politically unbiased news source, see “1440” at https://join1440.com/.
Talk with you again soon.
The Numbers
The Journal…………………………………… 280 words
Writing of The Jury (novel, tentative title)
Day 1…… 2488 words. Total words to date…… 2488
Day 2…… 0789 words. Total words to date…… 3277
Total fiction words for September……… 3277
Total fiction words for the year………… 69708
Total nonfiction words for September… 6610
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 134840
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 204548
Calendar Year 2022 Novels to Date…………………… 1
Calendar Year 2021 Novellas to Date……………… 0
Calendar Year 2021 Short Stories to Date… 0
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………………………………… 67
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)………………………………… 8
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)………………… 217
Short story collections……………………………………………… 31
Disclaimer: Along with discussing various aspects of the writing craft, I advocate a technique called Writing Into the Dark. WITD is “the only way” to write, but it is by far the easiest, most liberating, and most fun.
You’ve summed up how I feel – and made the same comparison I did to John Paul II. Great minds and all that, right? *grin*
I’m American, and therefore find monarchies somewhat distasteful, but if I had to live under one, I would choose Her Majesty over pretty much anyone else. (Perhaps her father….)
Thanks for putting it into words so neatly.
Thanks, Peggy. About monarchy in general, I’ve always felt its time is long past. But listening to the coverage of the queen’s reign I’ve come to understand the monarch fills a specific role that politicians either can’t or won’t. Despite what the politicians of her nation or even some of the more selfish members of her own family were doing, the queen always displayed that firm, unwavering but friendly countenance. What a wonderfully steadying influence she was, both inwardly to the citizens of her own nation and outwardly to the commonwealth and the other nations of the world.
Following on that thought, perhaps the best function of a monarch is to provide a focus for patriotic feelings when you dislike the government in power?
Maybe. Or maybe to provide an unshakeable stability. The Crown is a concept, much larger than any one person. It’s a beacon, a focus as you say, that rises above all other matters.