For Christmas this year, I bought myself a 5 year journal in the hopes that I could salvage some small piece of the once-strong tradition in my world. My childhood room is FULL of journals and notes and stapled pieces of paper with all kinds of musings (some profound, mostly not at all), and I get a total kick out of reading them. I’m sure in 30 years it will be even more entertaining and enlightening. If we’re looking at ourselves in the right light, the younger, less edified and naive versions of ourselves are HILARIOUS. The parts that are entirely mortifying, of course, are perfect fire-starters.
Anyways, this five year journal is designed much like the photo above. For each day of the month, it gives you 4-5 lines to jot down one line. Sometimes I write whatever comes to me – what fun thing happened that day – something prophetic – something I learned – a fact or story I want to remember, etc. Lately, I’ve been writing one thing that I want to KEEP and one thing I want to f’n DITCH. It’s a good way to weed out the good habits and keep those that make you joyful and light-hearted.
Anyways, I haven’t written in a few weeks and was delighted to stumble upon this post on Dear Golden. The writer found a 1915 version of my five-year journal at a thrift store and shared some gems from the pages, including:
• May 7, 1915
Fri. Rainy. Alice went home at 11:36 taking her mother with her. ‘Lusitania’ torpedoed at 2:30 this P.M. off the coast of Ireland. Belle Saunders’ husband drowned.”
• April 24, 1915
Sat. Hot. up at 4:30. Washed (98). Did nearly all ironing. Colored man moved lawn and put in screen. Early trees in bloom. Took off underwear (???). Asparagus up.
• February 23, 1915
Tue. School again, but I am too dull to amount to anything. Heard a robin twitter on my way home.”
• December 15, 1915
Wednesday. Busier than two bees.
It makes me wonder what my words will sound like taken out of the context of something written ‘for me only’. Will there be lines that that sound totally NUTS in 100 years? Thank you, 1915 asparagus-planting, blunt-tounged midwestern woman. You’ve re-inspired my writing routine.