Brody Week 13: Journaling
In eighth grade, one of my teachers assigned everyone in class to keep a journal and frequently write in it for a few months. Reluctantly, I did the assignment, usually rushing entries the day they were due (clearly not much has changed). I didn’t find the value in writing about my day, about my thoughts, but something changed.
I found my journal at the end of last year, and with eager excitement I sped through all of my entries. I found it really interesting to look back on my life and thoughts at the time; I found a weird sense of both joy and awkwardness in it. With only about twenty pages filled out, I decided to get back into journaling, but for fun, following off of my last entry.
Since I started writing again (January 6th), I’ve managed to write nearly everyday, only missing two or three. I usually just write about my day, what I did, and it’s actually really helped me recall certain events when talking to people. I don’t have to pause my sentences for a few seconds trying to remember specific things that happened on specific days. I’ve noticed that as I’ve started to get more comfortable and open in my entries, however, I’ve been writing less about my day and instead about whatever is on my mind. Sometimes it's a new album, other times it’s something that’s been stressing me out. So now, I’m questioning why I got back into writing. Is it so I have something to look back on in a few years? Is it to remember things on my mind? Is it to forget whatever is on my mind?
I haven’t come to a clear conclusion, and I don’t know if I ever will. For now, I write just to write. I encourage you to do the same. It’s helped me in many ways, and I do actually feel like it’s helped me with most of my stress from school.
Hi, Brody! As a fellow journaler, I really enjoyed reading your blog post this week. Something that really stood out with your blog is the story you have shared about your journey with journaling, and how the meaning behind this activity has evolved for you from writing about your day to reflecting on your thoughts. I especially appreciated how you’ve included a picture of your first journal entry, which adds a really nice personal touch to your blog.
ReplyDeleteI don’t journal everyday; it’s usually something I do once or twice a week based on the occasion as a way of reflecting on recent thoughts or ideas I’ve encountered. But, after reading your blog post about the value you have found in journaling, I hope to start writing in my diary more often. Thank you for sharing this blog, and I look forward to reading more from you throughout the remainder of this quarter!
Hello Brody, I enjoyed reading your blog post this week! I have tried to start journaling at many points in my life, but I have never been able to stay consistent. A couple of months ago, I found an old diary of mine from third grade, and spent an afternoon flipping through the pages and recalling all the memories and events I had written about. It felt like I had just found a time capsule, a window into my childhood and it felt nostalgic to go through. Your blog outlines your experiences with journaling, and how it has shifted from an activity where you detail the events of your day to something deeper. I especially liked how you included an image of one of your diary entries as it personalizes your blog and adds authenticity. Your blog was inspiring, and maybe I will start journaling again as well!
ReplyDeleteHello, Brody! I greatly enjoyed reading your blog about journaling as it brought back many memories for me. My cousins on my dad’s side of the family were forced to journal everyday until fifth grade, and whenever I visited them in Oregon, I had to undergo the same torture. At that point in time for little Jane, journaling felt like a waste of time, and I wrote the same thing everyday, my entries only taking up two lines a page: “Today I did [this]. It was a good day.” Now, I find those who have the discipline to journal everyday incredibly admirable, because it is not so easy to be so consistent with something. From my friends who journal I have heard that journaling not only allows people to look back on their memories fondly (as you did), but also decompress their day, being able to better reflect on what happened throughout. Congratulations on having only missed a couple days since the beginning of the year: I hope you will be able to look back on these days fondly four, five years into the future. Journaling daily is a commitment that I have always wished I had, and you have given me more motivation to do so, so thank you! I had fun reading your first writing for “Memory,” and I look forward to reading more from you.
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