Friday, March 13, 2009

Journaling My Way Through Life

In my last post I wrote about how I came up with the name for this blog. In doing so, I showed a stack of journals I've written in throughout my life.


It didn't really hit me until I did this...how many books I have filled and how much I've written. It spans the time of my life from childhood until ....um....gulp...middle age. Yikes. I'm kind of proud of this accomplishment. There was only one time in my life where I hardly wrote in a journal... during college and a few years after.




This was one of my first books. Remember when gnomes were popular? I think it was around the same time the Smurfs were a big deal. Anyway, I loved this book. Each page had a picture of the little gnome in the corner.


I wrote in the book, I saved important clippings, I taped photos in there. It was a almost like a scrapbook for me. Here is a newspaper clipping from sixth grade. I had been in a "College Bowl" at school and took third place.


Some of the journals have covers that make them easy to pinpoint what year I must have bought them in.

If you were a child of the 80's then you remember the IZOD frenzy. I had an IZOD purse and this journal. What I really wanted was the IZOD shirt. My Sister had one. I'm not sure if she ever let me wear it. Oh the sibling rivalries. I'm sure I must have blurted it out in the journal.

I've written about political events such as Iran taking our citizens hostage, Reagan being shot, as well as other newsy events like hurricanes.

There are entries about silly things. In my first little journal which I unfortunately can't find now, I remember I wrote "Today I had a hot dog." I think I was in 4th or 5th grade. Each day only had five lines you could fill. I guess I thought what I had for lunch was important. I'm really upset I can't find this little book. I would love to read the rest of it.

Some of the entries are sad. Times I would not like to remember. Some of them are funny. My favorites are when I came up with something philosophical and introspective. A few years of my life I started writing poetry. Not a lot, just a few times. And the weird thing is, I haven't since.

When I was living on my own in Missouri as a young TV producer, I wrote often. Moving to a new state and living by yourself really makes you think. I started naming or titling my journals at that point and I titled one "Missouri Loves Company." I always thought I would write a book about my time there. I started to, but didn't finish. Distracted by my new life when I moved to Pennsylvania, I guess. I think it would make a great name for a movie.

And now that I'm a new Mommy I've started another journal. One for Dear Bebe. I've been writing to her since I was pregnant. I'm not sure how long I will do this. Will she find it interesting?

This leads me to wonder. Should I keep all of the journals I've ever written in? Should I attempt writing a book based on my journals?

Do I want Dear Bebe to read them after I'm gone? I'd have to do some creative editing to some of the pages. As in: "I really don't know why there is a page missing there"....or "looks like a bug must have eaten a big hole in that one!"

I also have to admit I have neglected my own personal journal since starting to blog. Maybe this period of my life will be known as the bloggy era? I used to print out each post and save it in a 3 ring binder...but I have to admit I haven't been able to keep up with that, either.

And now that I've written a book in just this one post I realize I need to stop, or no one is going to even read it!

Maybe I should get back to the journal writing after all.

4 comments:

Ms.Daisy said...

Just a couple of weeks ago, I pulled out one of my first journals dated Dec. 1, 1995. My journal is titled, "Morning Pages of and my name - all four of them -as in first, middle, given and married name! Isn't that funny? And some of the things I was worried about in 1995 seem just so trivial now. I'm thinking the same thing as you: do I want my children reading my journals? I don't have as many as you but a box full anyway. I've been thinking I should just toss them - they're taking up too much room!

Ms.Daisy

j said...

Hi! Just wanted to let you know that I have gone private for a short time. It seems that my blog was HACKED. I am not sending out invites until I know exactly what to do. Just wanted to let you know that you are not being excluded from Dust Bunny Hostage :) "I'll be back!"

MJ said...

I have journals and haven't written regularly in them since K was an infant: not enough time! I've contemplated tossing them but haven't. They reflect me at that particular time. I forget that me. I may want to read them when I'm older!

Anonymous said...

Keep the journals. I tossed mine years ago and am sorry I did...your children AND grandchildren will want to know all about you!