Journaling
 

Over the years several very intelligent people have recommended Journaling. It always sounds intriguing but I never took it up... I like to think it is because I'm too busy and don't have the time but more likely I just too lazy, that and a fear someone will find my journal and schedule me for psychiatric testing.

Anyone here Journaling?

< serious >I've heard it mentioned a few times over the years too. < /serious >

< normal PPOT response >Yeah, I've heard about it too, but usually it's called keeping a diary and it's usually for a 12-17 year old girl. < /normal PPOT response >

I haven't heard of too many many men journaling their innermost feelings, I didn't think we had any !

Having led a somewhat extraordinary life so far, sometimes by design, most times by chance, I have a word doc of interesting things that have happened, which is a lot, and part of what makes them interesting is so many stars had to align, by chance, for many to happen. Also projects, ideas, inventions I'm working on, etc. And another doc just for random thoughts on politics and religion.

Latest I posted here, my trip to Paris and perspectives.

Have when things get rough. Helps to put things into words. Helps more to read those things a few days later. Something most never do is to read them to someone else. Somehow, hearing yourself as well as getting another objective point of view can really, really help.

My life has been blessed by an ability to say "YAY!" or "DAMN!" as required by circumstance and then move on. No journal needed.

I journaled during my first year of going thru my divorce. My wife was having an extramarital affair and my emotions were all over the place. Like a diary, I journaled every day for about 6 months. I needed to - it helped me focus as I was going thru the divorce process. I saved them along with every other document from lawyers - its in a box. I going to burn it all next year - 10 yr anniversary of my divorce.

It is a toxic box - like plutonium opening it up and reading the documents, it's unhealthy. Recently I learned that my ex is a beneficiary of a pension I have. I thought I took care of this, my mistake. I had to produce a copy of the divorce resolution - I thought I had it in the box. So as I'm looking, I start reading - it was making me ill. I covered the box put it away. It reminded me of Raiders of the Lost Arc. So for $5, I got a copy from State of IL. No phone calls to lawyers, no more reading, no calling my ex. I'm at peace again.

Back when I was working I documented things when I thought the need arose. It came in handy several times. When I worked as a back country ranger, we had to keep a daily journal to include our activities, number of people we came into contact with, places we went, miles we covered on patrol, and other things. I also documented rescues, first aid incidences, odd situations I dealt with, people I met, activities, and other things. The journals stayed in the ranger stations and accumulated over the years as others left theirs. Years later I talked to a guy working at a station I once had. He said he enjoyed reading mine and got ideas on how to deal with some situations. For some time before I retired, I compiled a notebook over time of my dealings with various situations, scenarios and problems. I talked to the guy who took my place some time afterwards. He said that notebook was a gold mine. Whenever he had a question about something, he'd look through it and find a solution most of the time. A diary, not so much.

Only six months? Only one box?

I was going to keep a journal but I saved every piece of paper, document, summons, motion, order, you name it, in chronologic order. Boxes of it. I still carry this dream of reconstructing the whole ten-year ordeal into a novel. The experience changed my entire life. I discovered everything I knew was wrong. I'd been living my whole life under a false premise.

I realized just how mislead I'd been and how naive I was. When I realized how foreign reality was to how I'd been living my life, and it was truly a shocking revelation, it struck me as a miracle that I'd survived, how delicate life is. It compelled me to completely rearrange my priorities from top to bottom. My reconstruction is ongoing to this day.

Maybe someday I'll put it all together and end up with something useful, something helpful.

But first, I need to rip open those boxes instead of spitting on them.

Man, it sounds like you guys went through some awful times. Sorry to read these. Men take divorce hard, in my observation.

I wish I did. I've started, but somehow can't keep it up. It has been useful to look back on the records I have kept to see what was going on. I do sometimes keep a diary of projects I'm working on, especially my garden.

This. Men tend to not get over a lot of things...they just move on.

Speaking for myself, it took awhile to work thru it. I was married for about 25 years. It takes a toll not only financially, emotionally and mentally. I have moved on.

I am an advocate of journaling. It is for me. No one needs to reads this but me - It allowed me to put events into order, it also allowed me to express my feelings. I still journal occasionally - usually a word doc, Once I read it, I throw it way. It helps me.

I try to "document" my life events in the form of photographs. Much of my work involving horticulture it's an easy process and just makes sense.

Yes, I do have a life outside horticulture, but over the years I find my gardening endeavours (along with life on the coast) and my intense musical interest always keeps me centered when going through rough patches.

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This.

My feeling have always been very simple for me to figure out. Get over it, and go on.

Three of those four girls look like they may be sisters.

Been using ext3 and ext4 for years