Journal Writing

I have been an avid journal writer for many years. I find the act of journalling to be very worthwhile and quite satisfying.

I journal for the following reasons:

• To keep a record of events in my life. My memory is not too bad; it’s my forgettery that is the problem!
• To clarify my thoughts on events, feelings, circumstances and decision making.
• To leave a legacy of my thoughts to my children (who may or may not be interested in all of my rantings and ravings).
• To make spiritual connections between events in my life and the eternal plan of things. Sometimes the entries take the form of poems or written prayers.
• To practise and hone my writing skills.

This is not an extensive or even totally inclusive list. I’ll probably think of other reasons as the day goes by, but the above list is a starting point, and what came immediately to mind when I thought about it. In recent months, especially since I have started blogging consistently, I have made very few entries in my journal. Sometimes my blog postings have been cut and pasted into the journal file, especially my travel blog.

Forms My Journal Takes

I started off writing down my journal in lovely well-bound blank books. This format filled about seven volumes over the years. I then moved it exclusively to a computer file. (Note to self: print this file out before the computer crashes. Oh, don’t worry – I have backup copies). The major dilemma I face is this: do I type up all of the old hand written entries? It’s probably not worth the effort.

A Different Approach

In the next posting I will relate how someone else has a totally different approach to journal writing.