I bought a new journal today. Hot pink, very cool looking. I'm not sure why... my journaling has fluctuated wildly since I started in my teens. And now that I'm blogging, I'm really not sure about the future of journaling.
I started journaling in high school, with spiral notebooks. They were, then, part diary and part interior dialogue, a place to write bad poetry and test story ideas. I had a diary once in grade school, but was very bad at it. I never could think of anything interesting to write. But journals were another story. I even named the high school ones, and pasted pictures on the front of them sometimes. (Especially liked my second journal, entitled "The Return of the Journal" and the fifth, "Journal No. 5" (as in chanel). Okay, so maybe you had to be there.
In the years since, my journaling discipline has waxed and waned. I was especially prolific in the months preceding my stay in Japan: trying to figure out what God wanted me to do (this was many years prior to "The Purpose Driven Life"). Sadly, I inexplicably stopped writing about halfway through my stay there. I'd love to be able to go back now and retrieve some experiences and memories. I think I got so busy doing things I didn't think I had time to write.
Lately, I have found that it has been difficult to maintain a consistent journaling discipline. Could it really be that I have run out of things to say? I would sit down with a pen and not be able to think of a thing that was interesting to say. I would write sentences that I was sure were among the most boring in the English language. Or I would simply do "pre-sermon" pondering -- all right, but sermons shouldn't be the sum total of my life, or all that I write about.
So blogging has (so far) been a fascinating experience for me. I've written more in the last two weeks than I have in months. I think some of it might even be interesting. And it's not the same old same old.
But I miss the pen and ink. I hope I don't stop writing things down, at least occasionally. I like the idea of filling a book, with faces and conversations, with thoughts and opinions.
8 comments:
I know, I miss the pen and paper, too--especially since I am one of those people that LOVES pens, and LOVES paper, but...I think that part of the fun of blogging for me is that some people read it and I get positive feedback. And I don't know why that appeals to me so much because back in the teen years of journaling, if anyone would have read it, I would have had a fit. So...who knows why our older selves do what they do, and how, and when. All I know is, I feel so good with the blogging; I have time for it because I type a lot faster than I write. I still keep a notebook with me at all times in purse, for when I run into sayings, or words, or anything else interesting that I just need to write down to be sure I remember; and, so far, that seems to take care of my pen/paper need!
I hope you're doing okay; it appeared this morning like you were in a lot of pain??? I so hope it starts to get better for you and soon! And how is Scout? I LOVE Scout--beautiful (or handsome, as the case may be)!
Thanks. I am starting to feel better, actually. Last night I slept well for the first time. But I didn't anticipate the steps, (that hurt). And standing so long tired me out. I do think I am on the mend, though.
thanks for liking Scout. She's good, but not as well-trained as we would like. I found out one of the reasons she is digging a hole in the backyard -- toads. Yes, she eats them.
I miss paper and ink too- and every now and then I reveve my journalling- my latest journal started with good intentions hasn't been opened for a few weeks now- interesting reflection.
Welcome to revgals
Welcome to RGBP!
i miss paper and ink too, but i realized soon after i started blogging (about six months ago) that part of why i never sustained a discipline of journalling even though i had some fervent journalling periods in my life, was that i am too much of an extrovert. my journals quickly became letters to God and that worked, sort of, but... blogging allows conversation that keeps me going.
i see we both have husbands who are church musicians. i'll be back!
glad to find you through the revgals, and welcome!
Hi - welcome to RGBP - a great group of folks!
Found your blog from some RGBP blogs I read. Having grown up in South Dakota myself, I was just curious what part of the state your previous positions were in. I grew up mostly in Brookings (on the eastern edge).
Anyway, I enjoyed your post. I look forward to reading more.
Welcome to RGBP. I grew up in the Dakotas (and visited Minneapolis a lot), so it will be fun to check your blog and see what's happening in that 'neck of the woods'. :)
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