The final Everyday Life in Middletown diaries bring this long-running project to a close with a rare blend of introspection and vivid attention to the world around us. Together, these diarists do more than record a single day; they meditate on what it means to live through a time of social strain, shifting climate, and fragile optimism, and to leave behind a record of it all.
Many diarists reflect directly on their participation in the project, aware that they are contributing to a collective portrait of ordinary life: “Farewell, Everyday Life in Middletown archive, hypocrite lecteur, mon semblable, mon frère.” — A01 “Thank-you for including me in this project. It has been my pleasure and I would not have done it without your prompts.” — A05 “Midnight hits, and just like that, as we celebrate a small part of our lives going very very well, being very closely connected to a place not near here, my Everyday Life in Middletown experience ends.” — A23 “I really do hope I’ve served something to this project.” — B35 “There’s also a little celebratory feeling in the air as I feel I’ve wrapped up a project and made some small contribution to the story of Middletown.” — C45
This final set of diaries also chronicles politics, climate, daily work, illness, care, and small joys that punctuate the ordinariness of everyday life.
On Politics and Protest: “Throughout the day, I thought about the Resist Protest I participated in on Saturday. One sign read, ‘This is not a left or right matter; it’s a right or wrong matter.’” — A15 “There seems to be a lot of hurt feelings and anger over the expression of Constitutional rights… I feel less unity and one-ness with these folks by the passing year.” — C45
On Weather and Climate: “It’s the first truly Fall weather day—the morning news, the young kid DJ on the jazz station, and my own sensorium all agree.” — A01 “Chilly, fall, finally. Yesterday first wet day in a couple weeks.” — A02 “The recent cold, blustery air that has descended upon us feels marvelous to me. I love cooler weather and when the leaves change and the skies become clearer. It restores me.” — B35
On Care, Illness, and Aging: “I have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and now type only with my left hand.” — A05 “I woke up a little late, around 8:15, and was immediately grateful for being retired and not having to jump to my feet and panicking.” — A15
On Ordinary Joys: “I came home, had a small dinner and watched TV before bed.” — F56 “We sat at the table on the patio where we could all (dogs included) enjoy the weather and talked about the day and impending weekend.” — B35 “We settled in for a long night of the kind of stress that only watching your favorite team on the cusp of elimination can conjure.” — A23
Explore these final diaries in the archive to follow their meditations on fall weather, political disillusionment, the poetics of routine, and the delicate balance between solitude and solidarity that defines life in Middletown.
Access all these diaries using this link: https://bsudsl.org/edlmiddletown/2025/10/?post_type=diary&cat=449
