sean

In television, literature or film, when you start a narrative at a great moment of suspense, at a crucial point in the storyline, and then move backwards in time to show how things got to that point it is reffered to as framing. It's a device, actually a clever one, you show people right away how bad it's going to get, and then while they try to figure out how things could have possibly gotten so bad for your protaganist you take them back to a moment of relative calm where the protagonist has no idea how bad its going to get for him and you slowly let the danger and suspense build until you're right back at that moment of imminent decision or danger.

Think Fight Club.
Think Lolita.
Think that flashback episode of the brady bunch where greg wrecks the car.

The thing with framing is you need this moment of imminent danger or there's no point. I'm not going to start out this journal with the fact that I am perfectly content and happy, that I have nothing in life to complain about, that for the first time in a long time I'm just plain happy and then tell you how I got to there. I mean, really, that would be sort of a snoozer wouldn't it?

So frame this, fuckers, everything in life is pretty damn good, and I'm going to cherish these days like the last cookie in the jar, savoring every last motherfucking bite. This is my moment of relative calm.