J is for Journalling

Before the days of laptops and smartphones, there was pen and paper--and journalling. Today the script tenderly-written decades or hundreds of years ago can provide insight into both the people and times past. The words captured today, either in a physical or digital manner, will not only capture today for tomorrow, the act of journalling can be very therapeutic. 

Journalling helped ease the soul during long nights of bedside vigils. Pen was put to paper to help regain equilibrium after I stood on the waterfront of my town and watched the Twin Towers fall. It also helped when the book that was awaiting publication had to have a new chapter added to reflect the local losses of the day. It was more of a challenge in the days following Superstorm Sandy as the days were spent helping salvage the town 's museum. So writing was to be done at night, but there was no power for a week so no lights and no computers. Whatever writing whether in a journal or on a novel was done old-fashioned way. Pencil and paper by the light of an antique hurricane lamp fueled by modern lamp oil.

Pixabay Image.Used under CCO Creative Commons.

When writing this post, care had to be taken so it wouldn't become a rant against the selfishness and stupidity of some people. Or how some correspondents go for the sensational rather than a realistic slant. (Saved those notes for the journal itself.)

But a journal is one person's perspective so those writings will go into a private notebook to be destroyed at a later time. The large red labels, "Do Not Read" and "Destroy Upon My Death" should guarantee no one ever sees them.

Another reason to keep it from the public is that the entries may be neither popular nor politically correct.

Hopefully by the time this post goes live, the world will be a more settled place. More on journalling can be found at Capturing Thoughts.

~till next time, Helen 

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