Night Elf Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 I know many people here blog, but for those of us who don't blog, do you keep a journal? daily? weekly? monthly? whenever something great happens? do you journal really sad stuff? I've tried numerous times to begin a journal but it always feels weird because I'm not talking to anyone and I feel silly, like I'm trying to have a conversation with an imaginary friend. :D I was thinking of getting journal software, but it would be cheaper to just write in a notebook by hand, or just use the computer. I'm not sure I like the idea of journal entries on the computer though. What do you think? And what are the chances of this being buried by lots and lots of Merry Christmas notes! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MunRoLy Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 Journaling helps me think. For dh it's talking, for me it's actually writing out my thoughts. For some reason solutions to problems seem to appear as I'm writing about them! So, yes, I journal when I can. When I go a long time without doing it I feel like I have a major lack of clarity in my life. I really enjoy reading my old journals too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 My great-grandmother kept one of those diaries, the old kind that were 5 years at a time. She noted mundane things like weather, who visited, really everyday. It's really neat to look through them as a family history. I think keeping a written journal is a great thing. I blog, facebook, google, but I still keep a journal. Sometimes I'm hesitant to know what to write, but I do on a semi-regular basis. I kind of write as if I'm writing to someone who will read it down the road. I love reading others handwriting, I like antique books because people had such beautiful writing and they usually put them name in the book. I think handwriting may become a lost art in this digital age. So while my memories may be forever on the internet, I think a handwritten journal has more value. I've traced a lot of genealogy. The people that are memorable in my lineage are not necessarily the ones who achieved great things, they are the ones who wrote stuff down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 I know many people here blog, but for those of us who don't blog, do you keep a journal? daily? weekly? monthly? whenever something great happens? do you journal really sad stuff? I've tried numerous times to begin a journal but it always feels weird because I'm not talking to anyone and I feel silly, like I'm trying to have a conversation with an imaginary friend. :D I was thinking of getting journal software, but it would be cheaper to just write in a notebook by hand, or just use the computer. I'm not sure I like the idea of journal entries on the computer though. What do you think? And what are the chances of this being buried by lots and lots of Merry Christmas notes! :) I used to try to journal too... it was pathetic. I now blog. I even tried to journal on the side while I was blogging... I never kept up with it. There's something about having other people see it that helps me with consistency. There have been times when I've needed to totally vent or write about something very private. I'll still type it out for my blog but I never publish it - I keep it either private or delete it. It's very cathartic and healing to get it out - but I don't need/want to dump on other people. I do know some bloggers who share some very intimate details - they usually do it with such aplomb and I just don't have that skill. Mine always comes across whiney and pathetic. Blogging has been a nice way to journal my family's growth and changes over the years... also my own growth and changes. I take WAY more pictures than I used to before blogging too. But (as a total side-tangent) I also like the conversation that ensues via blogging. Actually, I prefer visiting blogs who also engage in conversations. That's just me.. The ones that don't seem to enjoy talking to their visitors I assume just want an audience rather than a conversation. Sometimes I learn a lot from people who comment on my blog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah C. Posted December 26, 2011 Share Posted December 26, 2011 I journal sporadically. I have journal software, but I actually prefer paper - there's something about the act of writing... Journaling on the computer simply isn't the same. I'm using the journal software to type up old paper entries so that I have them in another format, though. In some cases I've gotten rid of the journals after that. I'm also keeping two five-year diaries - one for me, and one for DD. Hers starts with her day of birth - mine starts in July 2011, when I purchased them. I write in both every night. I've really been enjoying that..and I have a VERY detailed record of DD's first year ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted December 26, 2011 Share Posted December 26, 2011 I do with a blog - a picture and a post daily! It is, in essence, a family journal. Every once in a while, my husband chips in too. It is an awesome resource! And I love that it is on the computer. Typing is infinitely quicker for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglei Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 I have been a sporadic journaler, primarily because my hand gets tired writing, and I don't write all that I want to because of that. So, a few years ago, I began journaling in a document on the computer. I like this much better! I can get my thoughts down much quicker and while they are still clear. I journal more often as a direct result of this. While I think handwritten journals are wonderful, it just didn't work for me - so - I have taken my sparse entries from years past and have, bit by bit, typed them into my document and tossed (as in shredded and/or burned) the original handwritten ones. Eventually, I will print out each years set, slide them into page protectors, and put them in labeled binders. A few years back, I came upon some photocopies of lengthy, old, handwritten letters that thankfully I had had the presence of mind to copy before mailing. I was amazed at all the information, the history of our lives, etc. I set to and typed up the relevant portions into that document and tossed the copied letters. Just typing that out just now made me delighted once again at the wealth of memories that are captured. On any given day, if you were to check my pockets, you would probably find slips of paper with notes on them - things to type up when next I get the chance. The slips have dates on them so they can be posted with the *right* date. Thanks to this, I have copious notes on ds' babyhood, toddlerhood, childhood, etc., etc. - and - on dh's and my life together. Well - even before we were a *we*! Sometimes my entries take a trip to some memory that I want to capture. Computer journaling may not be *romantic* in any sense of the word - but it definitely works best for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.