I just finished playing piano for a grad school musical production of a play called “Junie B. Jones.” The play is based on the kids’ book series of the same name, about a spunky, assertive first grade girl who writes down in her journal the “adventures” of a being a first-grader: things like making new friends on the bus, showing off her new glasses at school, learning to juggle. It’s a well-made musical, with clever lyrics that are appropriate for children but still funny for adults (for example, when she is making a play date with another first grader, she says she will check her calendar and then “marker you in”… because first graders use markers instead of pencils, of course). This play reminds me a lot of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” as it focuses on the world of being a child, with songs about playing kickball, making friends, drawing in class, and the nice lunch-lady who brings treats for the kids.
The final number of the musical (which is a “Jr.” musical, hence it is only an hour long) is called “Writing Down the Story of My Life.” Here, lead character Junie B. Jones, who updates her journal throughout the play, ties things together by singing about how exciting it is to be able to write down her adventures, and have more adventures awaiting.
In fact, the song is touching ode to the journaling process. Here are some of the lyrics:
I started the year with a book of empty pages,
I had no idea what the future would bring
But I had some adventures and I put them all in here
And good news! I learned the most amazing things
In my insides there's an avalanche of feeling
In my head there is a pile of dreams come true.
And if there is something that I need to say,
There's a perfect way to share my point of view
And so I'm writing down the story of my life
Don't know where I'm going, but I know where I've been
I am writing down the story of my life.
I've got destiny before me and a book to put it in,
And so I'm writing down the story of my life.
I immediately liked this song and thought of my own writing process. I think the lyrics capture very well what writing means to me: the ability to share what is going on for me, what my experience is, the good, the bad, my own subjective reality put to paper. This is one of the great tools of my personal happiness, which obviously is essential to this blog.
Also, I took encountering this song as a sign from the Universe that I am in the right place… er the Write place!