Common Phrases
This is how he wrote:
He believed a person’s truest voice lived in the plainest things they said. Not the crafted lines, not the dramatic declarations, but the small, everyday sentences that slipped out without preparation. Those were the ones that carried the grain of a life. He gathered these common phrases the way another writer might gather uncommon words, arranging them until a faint narrative rose up on its own.
He never wanted to fuss over his own sentences, as if he had anything new to contribute. Even lining up the everyday phrases was ordeal enough; it left him oddly tired, as though the words had to be coaxed into behaving. And then there was his grammar, which had never learned to stand upright, and his spelling, which wandered off whenever it pleased. This method protected him. He let the world provide the language; he only had to shepherd it into place and hope it didn’t collapse on the way down the page.
The following is the one piece of his writing we could locate.
Good morning. What’s up? I’m getting ready. I’m almost ready. I have a question. What’s the plan? Let me think. Let me see. I have an idea. Follow me. Come with me. I’m on my way. I’m almost there. Are you ready? Let’s go.
Good to see you. What happened? What are you doing? I’m not sure. I’m tired. I’m hungry. I don’t feel like it. I don’t want to. That’s too bad. That’s interesting. Are you kidding? Seriously? That’s impossible. I can’t right now. I’ll do it later. I have something to do.
Calm down. It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I can do it. I’ll try. I feel better. That makes sense. Exactly. That’s great. I’m ready. Let’s begin. Let’s talk. Tell me more. I’ll be right back. I’ll let you know. Take care.
Where are you? Can you hear me? What’s going on? I’m confused. I’m lost. What should I do? Can you help me? Please wait. Hold on. I don’t understand. Can you repeat that? Seriously? No way. That’s strange. I’m nervous. I’m worried. I can’t do it. I don’t think so. I have to go. I overslept. I’m running late.
I’m okay. I feel good. I feel great. I can wait. I can walk. I have time. Let’s try it. Let’s move on. Let’s talk. That’s fair. Absolutely. Sounds good. For sure. I’ll think about it. I’ll be right back. See you later.