Notes to John

by Joan Didion

I did however think AA’s medical model for alcoholism was a big mistake, in that it provided an excuse for drinking by insisting the “disease” was bigger than you were, beyond your control.

Shyness is a form of paranoia. You assume you’re the center of attention.”

“Teaching is something very few parents can do. There’s this fad now for teaching children at home. I have no idea how they do it. Moreover, it’s a terrible idea, because a certain amount of schooling is about the development of social skills.”

“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

I said I had been thinking about this since I was a very small child. Not of “dying”, but of “being” and “not being”. I can remember trying to turn around very fast to see if the world in fact existed if I didn’t see it.