Started another journal on October 5th. This is my 22nd book since my first journal entry back on October 7, 1990. The first entry consisted of five sentences at a time of struggle. There was a lot going on inside mading it difficult to express myself in any coherent way. I wrote about a struggling marriage, family issues, job changes, entering into another unnecessary war and the downward spiral of our society. That was 24 years ago. The marriage ended 9 months later. There are still family issues, I’m now retired, we’re still senselessly killing and our society still has a broken thinker.
I’ve noticed my writing style has changed. I’m not writing to necessarily find answers but to pursue other questions. My journals are a mix of diaries, writings to a Higher Power (God) and co-authored with him. My audience is for family and friends as well as myself. The journals have been therapy for me. Some things I write and then read back over can enlighten me to a deeper knowledge of myself and allow for an acceptance of the world around me. I find it brings clarity, focus, slows down my troubled thinker and helps organize it. It has become an important part of my life. Now, if I could put words in some sort of coherency instead of feeling like I’m babbling.
10 Comments
Earl
Monte, that’s an accomplishment journaling 24 years. I can only imagine the heart felt feelings and examinations that went into these writings and perhaps the realizations that came about from doing them. They are a wonderful and personal thing. It’s a great thing you do!
Monte Stevens
Not sure I can tell you what I’ve gained but it has altered my perception of the life I live. Just today I had some frustrating things happen and was not in a good place. I quieted myself in my room (time out) and then wrote for a while. I have a better view of things now, until the next bump in the road.
Tom Dills
I’m not sure that I could hand write that much, but I suppose it’s part of the therapy. That’s quite an accomplishment, regardless.
Monte Stevens
This post is not about something special I do but a way I slow down the troubled thinker. You’re right is my therapy. Thank you!
John
I’ve kept journals off and on since, well, since getting out of high school in 1970! Unfortunately, they’ve been on a variety of media – little notebooks, big notebooks, computer (I have some old 5.25″ floppy with journals I wrote on a software package called Galaxy!). From my cycling days, my running days, my divorce days, my military days. It makes for some interesting reading – for me anyway. I doubt there’s much of interest for anyone else (maybe family…).
I like the photo accompanying the post. Nice contrast, nice composition.
Monte Stevens
Now that is way cool, John. I know someone who burned her journals when she remarried. It seemed so strange to me. I am one who needs to read back over them as much as anybody.
oneowner
My wife’s uncle kept a detailed journal on his travels, but it was written on any piece of paper or napkin he could get his hands on. This was during the depression as he searched the country for work. The journal has now been compiled and is a treasured and important part of our family’s heritage. He also collected some photographs along the way but the film was not developed until much later because it was expensive during that time period. He was able to catalog most of it before his death and the photos have been placed in the journal. I think he would be proud of the result of the effort he put into it.
Monte Stevens
Now that is cool! mY maternal grandmother wrote down thoughts and poems during the last five years of her battle with cancer. My mom and her tow sisters found them after grandpa had died, almost seven years. They also were written on envelopes, scrap pieces of paper. My mother gathered them all up and typed them all, misspelling words as grandmother did. I cherish that.
Mark
That is really incredible and admirable Monte. I have trouble keeping blog posts going and lately it has been really bad.
Monte Stevens
I’ve noticed you have been posting less often. That is okay because our blogs are not the real world we live in. Years ago I began the project of a photo-a-day on pbase. That has instilled in me the idea for a need to post every day, not true. I think posting every day will cause me to post poor images just to post. And, my content is not always what I wish it was. I blog because of the enjoyment and the community it gives me.