Keeping a journal has always come naturally to me. I have always been writing stuff down for as long as I can remember. So it was interesting today to hear the other voices in the class and how the idea of journaling was somewhat of a second language to them. Or how their way of journaling is so much different. Someone made the comment that her journal was of artifacts such as maps and appointments. So much different than mine, but so very cool.
I am one of the few people in my life that keeps a journal, and to this day I always think of something my mom would ask me as a kid, "You still writing in that thing?"
Yes mom. Even today, I am "still writing in that thing."
Even she was impressed that I kept at it.
So it's safe to say that I really identified with the article.
Some of the quotes I pulled from it, that really stuck out to me were:
"Keepers of private notebooks are a different breed altogether, lonely..."
This one jumped out, because of the word lonely. I wouldn't say that I'm lonely, but in my line of work nothing is meant to be talking about. Everything is internalized and that really comes out in my compulsive need to write, and journal. Just so I can get everything out.
"I have already lost touch with a couple of people I used to be;"
This just kind of speaks for itself. I feel as though that is something everyone can relate to. But with journals, as she mentions in the article, are a way for you to keep in touch with the people you used to be.
She states, "...keeping in touch are what notebooks are all about."
A nice reminder of where you started, where you came from, and just how far you have come.
I found myself while reading this article, also jumping back the Atwood's introduction and remembering things that she wrote about why people write. And when I read this [the intro] I found my self thinking about my own journals, and my own poetry and it was all relatable. Some of the reasons I write, she mentioned.
Such as, "To record the world as it is. To set down the past before it is all forgotten. To excavate the past because it has been forgotten...Because I knew I had to keep writing or I would die. Because to write is to take risks, and it is only by taking risks that we know we are alive... To express myself. To express my self beautifully... To celebrate life in all its complexity...To give back something of what has been given to me."
That section blew me away and I adore it. It's comforting to know there are people out there who write for some of the same reasons I do.
And it's also comforting to know that there are people out there that find journaling just as much of an escape as I do.
And because I just wrote this incredibly long rant about journals and how much I love journaling, I am going to share a picture of my journals with you guys. One dates back to as early as 7th grade.
Wow, nice journal artwork! My creativity never managed to extend past what I put between the covers.
ReplyDeleteAs for being more of a listener, I'm much the same way. I hate to speak in class just for the sake of participation points. I juggle between the need to say something even if it's only mildly relevant, and the desire to only contribute if I have something profound. Glad to see someone else in the class who is quiet but attentive.
It's interesting to see so many of the people in class (you included) using journals. I personally only dabbled, but after hearing about how it has helped you and others I might start one. I'm curious: do you go back and read the old journals often? Or does the process of writing it all down just help to cement it in your mind and work out all the issues? Either way, your use of journaling is interesting, and I'm glad you've found a way to process your life experiences effectively.
Kyle Knox
Lacy, you are such a great writer. You have a natural voice, and it is clean and strong. I'm not surprised you don't talk a lot in class, not only because of your line of work and the way you've been trained to operate there, but also because you have so much going on under the surface. They say that those who talk the most know the least, and sometimes I think that's true.
ReplyDeleteI also have always kept journals. My earliest one still in existence is from the 4th grade, and there's a whole box of them somewhere. People would often say "You're still writing in that thing?" to me too. Yes of course I am, it is a part of who I am and how I communicate with myself and the world. Except the last few years, I haven't kept one at all besides when I travel and use a notebook to collect artifacts, as you said. I wonder if getting married and "settling down" is the source of the end of my love affair with journaling. Maybe my husband replaced me as my most intimate friend. I think it would worthwhile to reinvest. Thanks for the reminder. I look forward to reading more of your work soon! I hope you will share some of your poetry with us.