Journals – Many Different Forms

The beginning of a new year can be a great opportunity to start a journal. I have kept journals ever since my teen years in one form or another. A journal doesn’t have to be a daily jotting down of your day’s activities, although it can be. They can take many forms and I have many different ways of recording my life.

Since the pandemic was declared March 11, 2020, I have kept a daily log of my activities and whereabouts in red pen on a big calendar on the wall. I figured it would be a good way to see how often I really did exercise or see family and friends and it would be good for contact tracing if I ever needed to do that. I didn’t think it would last this long. I’m still writing in red pen every day.

Photo journals are also a way of documenting your life. I take a lot of photos in my life, sometimes for creative expression, but also to chronicle my own life. I love creating photo essays with pictures and short explanations to look back on my days and events. This year I started my “Coronawalk” series to record my frequent walks in my neighbourhood and nature areas. It’s wonderful to look back on them and relive the memories.

For many years now I have kept a reading journal, listing every book I read and recording the author, a short summary, and my own * rating. I don’t know about you but I have trouble remembering titles and authors when I try and recall a good read for a friend. Now I have my trusty reading journal to check and refresh my memory.

I travel a lot (or used to before the pandemic) and I have always kept a travel journal, recording my day’s activities and the names of places and people as I go. It helps me keep track of the days, where I’m going and what I’m doing, and also to remember unusual names and spellings.

I do also have a more traditional journal notebook beside me at all times but I use it in less traditional ways. Yes, I use it to write about my day filling it with my spontaneous thoughts and responses. I also fill it with quotes I come across in my reading, summaries of information in my research, quick interesting facts, and names and numbers of people I want to remember, as well as births, deaths, marriages, and other special events so that I can always check back for specific dates and other information. This is also where I record my dreams, meditations, gratitude, and creative ideas. My journals fill up fast. I have a stack of them all in different shapes and colours in my bedside table.

My Facebook writer page and WordPress blog was started in November 10, 2014, before the publication of my first book “10 – A Story of Love, Life, and Loss.” My first entry said, “Hello followers. I have created this page to share musings, ideas and other writings that contribute to understanding, encouraging and uplifting each other in this path we call life.” On my Facebook writer page (www.facebook.com/barbaraheagywriter) I have continued to post something every day for the last six years. I see it as a form of journal, a way of expressing daily gratitude or fears, not only for my readers, but for myself. I post at least once a month on my blog. Sometimes I want to impart some good information about reading and writing or sometimes I just want to post a funny meme or joke for a good chuckle or laugh. I enjoy writing them and I hope you enjoy reading them.

As you can see, journals can take many forms. Do you journal? Tell me about it.