Journal/Diary Keepers

[lucky-E-leven]

I was just curious if anyone else kept a journal.

I used to be an avid journaler when I was a teenager, but then I had to grow up and life got busy. A few months ago, vella gave me one as a gift and I was surprised by how much I missed it. We actually take turns with this one, and that's very cool.

- If you don't keep a journal, but have done your share of snooping and reading others' entries, please share the most interesting here.

- If you do journal, what's your method and what do you get out of it?

I never would've thought to ask if it weren't for vella pointing out that most of my entries are wistful thoughts or memories of some kind. They all tie in with something that happened to me around the time I wrote the entry, but my method was distinctly different from hers. It just got me wondering what others get out of documenting their thoughts and if they noticed any patterns in their entries.

~lucky

 

[BlackShanglan]

I have tried, but Samuel Pepys I am not. I can never seem to come up with anything useful to put in one. My daily life is mundane to the point of tears. I do think I might try to keep a journal on my next vacation, as it will be exciting and I would like to record my impressions.

(Just realized ... I really OUGHT to keep a writer's journal where I just write when I learn something useful that I need to look back on and remember. Perhaps I will start that. I have a file of things on my comptuer now.)

Shanglan

 

[Lucifer_Carroll]

I was just curious if anyone else kept a journal.

I used to be an avid journaler when I was a teenager, but then I had to grow up and life got busy. A few months ago, vella gave me one as a gift and I was surprised by how much I missed it. We actually take turns with this one, and that's very cool.

- If you don't keep a journal, but have done your share of snooping and reading others' entries, please share the most interesting here.

- If you do journal, what's your method and what do you get out of it?

I never would've thought to ask if it weren't for vella pointing out that most of my entries are wistful thoughts or memories of some kind. They all tie in with something that happened to me around the time I wrote the entry, but my method was distinctly different from hers. It just got me wondering what others get out of documenting their thoughts and if they noticed any patterns in their entries.

~lucky

Did you know shared journals are like a romantic standard in Japan?

Sorry, I don't have anything else relevant to add. My journal is basically a poetry and writing snippet book I bring with me everywhere to record thoughts and inspiration when I get them. Nothing personal. I prefer to do that stuff without a book during long wee hour walks and introspections.

 

[LadyJeanne]

I've kept some kind of journal since high school. Some years less than others, but always something. These days, it's usually writing snippets, but also tends to be the place where I write out the deeply emotional things I'm feeling that I want to understand better. Writing in longhand somehow forces me to clarify my thoughts more than typing. I carry it with me most places, and bring it out when I have the time and space to think. I couldn't imagine life without it.

 

[matriarch]

I used to keep one, as a kid, never even thought about it since then. I keep all my online chats in IM, I guess those are a kind of verbal journal, but not quite the same. My thoughts are at times so random, so up, so down, I have enough trouble handling them in RL, I don't think I could get them on paper in a coherent state.

I tend to use poetry as a journal. Most of my poems are a reflection of my mood at a given time, I guess they could be lumped together as a journal.

I may have to try.
I definitely intend to write one for my forthcoming holiday.
There willbe so much to remember.......my head in its current menopausal memory state won't be able to cope. So ...........a journal it will be.
Maybe even a thread when I get back..........as long as there are no parts I wouldn't want to share

 

[angelicminx]

I have kept a journal off and on since I could write. I write out remembered dreams (and nightmares), emotional moments, thoughts, feelings and fears.

I have a separate journal for my daughter. That one includes details of her birth; thoughts, feelings and observations as she has grown; things I want her to know if something should happen to me before she is mature enough to hear them; and memories from my own childhood I wish to share with her as a record for her to keep.

I do have a song writing journal, as well as a writing journal. Both of those contain ideas and pieces I am working on. I do not write out the stories, just the ideas for them.

 

[Guest]

I love journaling, not that i do it well or that i aspire to do it any differently than i do. ive journaled on and off for all my life and when i look back there may be as few as one page in a year. its all total feeling. beautiful to see what you were thinking about ten years ago... how silly sometimes your thoughts/worries were, where you are and where you were.

 

[impressive]

What an incredible thing! I'd love to do a shared journal *sigh*

Oh, to answer your questions -- I've tried to journal, but just cannot seem to do it for myself. I do have a journal for each of the kids, though, in which I jot down funny things they say or do ... those things that I can later tell their prom dates to embarrass them. I plan to give each journal to my grandkids someday. *grin*

In spite of the fact that I have failed to journal myself, I do adore the blank journal books. I have a collection. My favorite one is slightly smaller than a postcard and I've been sticking it in my purse in case some phrase or wisp of a poem occurs to me while away from a computer.

 

[carsonshepherd]

I have tried, but Samuel Pepys I am not. I can never seem to come up with anything useful to put in one. My daily life is mundane to the point of tears. I do think I might try to keep a journal on my next vacation, as it will be exciting and I would like to record my impressions.

(Just realized ... I really OUGHT to keep a writer's journal where I just write when I learn something useful that I need to look back on and remember. Perhaps I will start that. I have a file of things on my comptuer now.)

Shanglan

This is my sentiment exactly.... I do have a LiveJournal as a writing journal though. Link's in my profile but it's dead dull unless you're member and can read the dirty stuff

 

[LadyTemptress]

I just recently started journaling again after years of not doing it. My life is in a big transition and things happen it seems everyday. I write so that I don't forget the details and the special moments.

It also helps me organize my thoughts and helps get out emotions I have trouble expressing.

I do love the idea of a shared journal. Might have to suggest that.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I kept a journal for many years, but like shang, my life has become so mundane it's really pointless, unless I have a hankering to know what I ate for dinner three weeks ago. I do, however, keep a detailed dive log for my dive experiences, impressions etc.

 

[mlady_france]

I used to keep a dream journal. Every morning when I woke up I would right down everything I could remember about my dreams that night. It was quite interesting to look back on. And I got a few great stories out of it as well. But I stopped writing in it when I was in highschool. I had too many nosie family members.

 

[Guest]

I kept a journal at fourteen. It is heartbreaking to read it now. Oh, the turmoils we go through then.

Keeping a journal is good disipline, and very useful. I was advocating it just the other day to some students I was speaking with.

I was going to start a journal again today, but I think I'll put it off until tomorrow. After the number of days you have procrastinated has hit five digits, what's one more day?

 

[rakastuja]

I havent really ever kept diary when I was kid but I started writing a blog or diary or such last year (link on my signature). I write about my dreams, fantasies, memories, ramblings etc. I pretty much just write what ever I like to write without caring that much to record every day or write article style.

Main motive behind it is my depression.. Im writing it more for myself than readers. Its been a great thing so far. My own little whining and crying place.

 

[TheEarl]

I have a journal which makes occasional appearances in my signature here at Lit. I guess it's not strictly a journal as I don't write every day; just when I have something to say. It's a stream-of-consciousness ramble thing which I've found very educational to read back over a couple of years later. I can drop right back into how I was feeling at that time.

The Earl

 

[lucky-E-leven]

Another question: Those of you that say you can't keep a journal for reasons of mundane or simple lack of interest, have you ever gone back and viewed a succession of your postings? Say, if you frequent the mood thread in the morning every day or a particularly long discussion occurs and you're a persistent poster there. I think it's kind of the same thing as journaling.

I used to be really turned off to journaling because we had to do it for school. It was a daily thing and there were just some days I wasn't in the mood. Kinda like those days when wearing panties is just too much to ask... or is that just me? Anyway, I like the freedom I've given myself now. When I'm too busy, I don't worry about it. However, when I'm in the habit of doing it every night before bed, it's really nice to look back on what I thought was mundane today because down the line it'll remind me of a frame of mind I might never be in again. I like looking back through entries and remembering who I was then in more detail than simply remembring bits and pieces of lucky-was-a-selfish-brat times or lucky-really-stuck-her-neck-out times or whatever.

I really like the idea of keeping a journal on one's children, but I'm afraid I'm not that disciplined. I do, however, tend to document the lil Luckster's life in photographs. I can see a single picture and mentally recount exactly what the situation was that prompted me getting out my camera.

As for the shared journal, it has been hugely rewarding. I probably don't need to tell most of you that maintaining a long distance relationship takes a great deal of patience and effort. That said, it's really nice to log an entry before bed the same way you might share pillow-talk if the person was actually there. It's also quite beneficial when your loneliness becomes too great or your memories fail you. It's a way your partner can lean over and whisper about their day to you, and it somehow winds up remaining fresh no matter how many times you've read it.

Or maybe I'm just crazy.

~lucky

 

[EarthRaven]

Random

So, this is pretty random, and I've never done this before, but I can't get the online chat thing to work because my computer sucks, so I've decided to try things this way. I was looking for any Brits interested in chatting. I don't know where else to look, so if anyone has any suggestions, let me now. Thanks

E.Raven