St. Augustine’s book, Confessions, is one of the few written works that we have left from his lifetime. In his book, he focuses on his life and the way he develops as a person and follower of God. When writing Confessions, he willingly left out details of his life that he assumes readers of his time period will understand. Simple things like the clothing he wears, how he travels to school, and the basic way he leads his life are omitted from his work. St. Augustine’s writing acts as a window to his life and the world he lived in. His work gets the reader to ask the question of “what did he not say?”

Unlike St. Augustine, if I were to write a book about my life experiences, I would try to add descriptive details. However, I think because of the routines that have been instilled in me, I would unintentionally leave out mundane details that may be important years later; it would give future readers a glimpse into the lives of people in 2020. I tend to assume people understand what I am talking about, and I think that would translate to my work. Information about life at school would be provided but like St. Augustine, I would most likely leave out details about the setting I am in. For instance, technology is a huge part of everyday life but I would not focus on it as much; I would assume that readers would understand how people use technology today. St. Augustine was openly critical of himself and his school experience. Unlike him, I doubt I could be as open and honest about my shortcomings and sins. I would not completely avoid writing about my faults and mistakes, but I would limit what I say. My work would not mention people wearing masks; wearing masks has become a part of my everyday routine. In a few thousand years, people might find it fascinating that I brush over the topic of wearing a mask often. All of the things that are normal to me in the present might be incredibly significant in the next few thousand years.

St. Augustine was very open about certain aspects of his life in Confessions. He writes a lot about how he sinned as a young boy, as well as his feelings towards his faith and himself. However, he chooses to not provide specific parts of his life. He assumes that the reader will understand what his school is like and what people wear. His way of life is obvious to readers who were able to read it closer to his time period. While he does talk about traveling a little, it is brief and he gives little detail. If he gave more details about his travels, readers would have a better idea of what it was like to go one a journey in 400 A.D. St. Augustine omits details that he probably assumed were too insignificant, yet if he wrote about those minor details, readers today would get an even better idea of what life was like for him. St. Augustine is very open about his sins and how he grows from it, however, one personal aspect he does not talk about is his father. He provides very personal details about his sins, how he grows as a person, and his relationship with his mother, yet his father, a major figure in his life, is left out of his writing. Even though St. Augustine talks a lot about his mother and how she influenced him; he leaves the reader wondering what his father did and how he impacted St. Augustine’s life.

St. Augustine’s written experience is similar to the way I would want to write a book. He did not write his work to flatter himself; he gives the reader a genuine look into his life. It makes sense why he did not include common details about the life he lived; if he felt it would not contribute to the message of his writing, there is no point in writing it. Even though I would not be as openly critical and honest as he is, it provides the reader with necessary information about how he thought and how his society worked. While it would have been nice to have more details about his lifestyle, it is not realistic to expect the author to write down every minor detail of their life. People talk about what makes them unique and St. Augustine is no different.