Tonight’s blog post is going to be about my journals. How many of you keep writer’s journals, or personal diaries?
I’ve kept them since I was about 10 years old, mainly as personal journals where I record my thoughts, feelings, desires, and fears. I also record the anger, dissatisfaction, and other things too ugly to keep locked away in my mind.
When something bothers me, if I don’t write it down, it continues to bother me. If I write it in my journal, all is better.
My memory is awful. If I write it down, I can look back to refresh my memory. Even good memories slip away too quickly. For an example of how bad my memory can be, when I had to punish the kids, I would write down the reason and post it on the refrigerator. Otherwise I would forget why they were punished after the first day.
Somehow, though, the things I really need to remember for day to day life stay in place. Like the important stuff, how to get to and from work, to feed kids and animals, etc. And my job, which requires a tremendous amount of memory space. That may be why I can’t remember the other details.
Tell me about your journals – do you keep one? Are they extremely private, or are they only a source of writerly notes? Are they precious storehouses of memories?
In my next blog post, I’ll tell you what happened to over 20 years’ worth of my journals.
Yep, have journals going back to when I was 14. Stopped keeping them when I got married.
I used them to blow off stress and bitch about everybody and everything.
Sometimes it was the only writing that I did. Now is different. I blog.
Ha! I haven’t gotten brave enough to blog the really personal things I put down in journals. A friend gave me one to get me back on track with my journaling and now I take it with me everywhere. But since the great journal crisis of 2008, it’s hard for me to trust (who? The Universe? I don’t know, life itself I guess) enough to write it down now.
When I was in junior high and high school I kept journals and when I got married, I took them with me to my new home. Came home from work one night and found my loving husband–now my ex–sitting in the living room drinking beer and laughing. He was surrounded by my journals. I was pissed and burned them all. Should have burned him–just kidding, I’m not a violent person.
Quit keeping journals for years until I moved to Alaska. Kept several there that were violated by an annoying ex-boyfriend. So, no more journals for me. The irony of the situation is now, I’m married to a wonderful guy who would never even think of opening someone’s journal.
I do keep writer notebooks though. When ideas hit me or I hear a good saying, I jot them down.
Why can’t some people resist the urge to delve uninvited into sacred spaces? I hate that.
It is disrespect on an epic scale to read someone elses journal.
I’ve had the problem crop up a couple of times. Now I have password protected files on my pc.
The fact that they would do it just blows my mind. Disrespect on an epic scale. You’re right, and that’s a good description.
Nope, haven’t kept one since I lived in a camper in the national forests in my early 20s.
I do feel guilty about not having one though. I’ve written for a day or two several times, then got busy again. Maybe when I “retire”?
My mom was a great journaler for many years and now at 81 reads over them often. She recently let me read the one about the time she was pregnant with me – not a really happy time.
I’m sure I’d know myself a lot better if I had chronicled my life and I admire all journalers!
I tried to keep a steady journal all my life… But never really succeeded so I guess my blog is the closest thing I have to a diary. I suppose my diary is not a very private one
That said, I’ve always envied people who kept journals all their lives, especially with my poor memory, I feel like I’m losing lot of things because I’m too lazy to write them down…
Why do you feel guilty? Either you will keep one or not, but I don’t think it’s something that ought to be attached to a feeling of ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’
I would love to have had mine to look back over when I’m 80. I always loved looking back over them from years back.
Mine hasn’t been steady, but over the years I did accumulate a lot of them. Anytime anything bothered me, I wrote it down.
Now the journal I keep is different. I make a conscious effort not to write things that might be too offensive to anyone who might read it. And I think that’s a bad thing.
So eventually I hope to be trusting enough to say exactly what I think and feel and have no censure. That’s what made the act of writing it so therapeutic.
I’ve kept journals all my life – or so it seems. Early on, during my not-so-happy childhood, they provided sanity. Later, early 20s, all the ah-has and seemingly profound revelations were recorded. I’ve kept dream journals, “happys and prouds” journals, travel journals and catch-all journals ever since. And so, when I left home a couple weeks ago for a visit to my mother, to be followed by a Dollywood vacation with my sister and her family, I took two journals: family vacation journal and catch-all journal.
I was on the ferris wheel – way at the top, breeze blowing on my face – when my phone rang. Shortly after that I was in a New Orleans’ area hospital. My mother had a stroke.
Now living in a hospital room with her for a week, my journal has provided solace – and more.
I am here for her, supporting her therapies and making lots of arrangements/decisions. But mostly I am inspired by her acceptance, tenacity and courage.
There is a lot of stress. A LOT. But having my journal gives a release. And then it’s easier to reflect on the blessing of her strong mind – and our heart-to-heart conversations in the wee hours.
And those I will record too.
LeAynne, I’m sorry to hear of your mother’s stroke and hope she recovers fully!
I like the way you’re using your journals and totally understand how much a comfort and stress release they can be.
Thanks for sharing your story, and please drop by later and give us an update on your mother and you.