Share journal entries to understand

Thoughts are fleeting things.

 

It happens to all of us–and to some of us more often–that we will walk into a nearby room and then try to remember why we did so. Sometimes, too, we will be going through some old papers or items and come across something which gives us pause: “Oh, I’d forgotten about that.”

 

Me, I’ve decided I have a poor memory compared to most. Family members often mention episodes or circumstances which I either don’t remember at all, or which I must root around in my neural connections to find.

 

And it’s either because I have come to know so many people in my dual careers as a writer and teacher or because of my marginal memory that I frequently encounter people I believe I should be able to name, but cannot think why. For that reason, please don’t be offended if we should cross paths and I should fail to say hello.

 

I have also come across information that claims each time we access a memory, we change it. It’s interesting to speculate how the researchers determined that, but I suppose I’m willing to believe it could be true. I’ve also been informed all the cells in our body are replaced every five years, so when I claim to be “a changed person,” I can be accurate on two levels at once.

 

Like everything, it may be that having a poor memory has a silver lining–I get more than my share of “firsts,” since I have forgotten the original experience and now get to be someplace or do something from a fresh perspective.

 

Perhaps another silver lining is that, since I know how forgetful I can be, I like to write things down. Keeping a journal is a valuable hobby, not to a small degree because it causes one to reflect. Asking oneself “What was the most important or interesting thing that happened today?” is a great way to decide how to begin. In addition to that reflection, of course, it is a record of where you have been, what you have done, and what people you have spent your time with. 

 

Not only that, it’s useful for “proving” things.  If there is disagreement over a memory, showing what’s written in a journal is a fairly inarguable way to establish what really happened. 

 

Depending on what one chooses to write, sharing a journal entry or two may be a great way to help others understand who we are and how we see the world. 

 

Naturally, there are as many ways to go about keeping a journal as there are “journalists.” For those of us who know how to type, an electronic format has numerous advantages. For one, we can record our thoughts more quickly and they are easy to read.  The information doesn’t take up physical space, and the pages won’t turn yellow or fall out over time. If the document gets particularly long, one can use “find” options to locate key words. On the other hand, what happens when formats change? Though one can take precautions, as the document grows to cover more and more memories, just how trustworthy is electronic storage? Also, if “the worst” should happen, others may not know where to find and access it.

 

Setting aside a regular time for journaling can be helpful in making sure the writing gets done. It doesn’t have to be daily; once a week still allows us to record the memories while they’re fresh, while also causing us to reflect back with a bit more perspective. Or maybe for some just having a certain notebook or hard-covered journal floating around will cause us to write down memories whenever we feel the impulse to do so. That may not lead to the sort of chronicle many of us think of when we hear the word “journal,” but it will still have value.

 

I hope all these thoughts have you considering the topic of journals–either perhaps beginning one, going now to write in one, or even digging one up and reading through it–whether one of your own or one kept by some historic family member.

 

Just, when you step into the next room to get it, don’t forget why you’re there. After all, thoughts are fleeting things.