Journals

When I was  a self-centered dramatic teenager I was given a journal.  I went home, opened the journal and wrote exactly how I got it.  It was the most boring entry written in the worst handwriting possible with a plethora of spelling mistakes.  That was the day that I started journaling all my angry thoughts.  Bad handwriting, spelling mistakes, and an inability to stay on topic or even finish a thought filled this wide ruled book.  It wasn't long before I lost interest and moved on with my life, but it was not the end of journaling for me.

As a freshman in college dealing with my first boyfriend, my first breakup, my first academic failure, and my first realization that I was losing who I was, I went straight to the bookstore and picked up a journal.  Once again I wrote down all my angry thoughts in bad handwriting and a sea of spelling mistakes.  I was better at staying on topic but still could not finish an entry.  Looking back I see my immaturity and dramatic ways written between the college ruled lines and think,"Did it actually help or did it just fuel and accentuate my emotions?"

To that I do not have an answer, but I can say this.  I have been journaling consistently since that day and there is no greater joy then being able to look back and see how much I have grown and matured as a person.  In some ways it helped me work out some confusing and emotional times as well as be able to take a step back and realize my own faults.  Most of all it helped me with my writing skills.

Whenever I hear someone is stressed out or dealing with a lot of emotions I always tell them to write.    Galileo said, "All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them."  Journaling helps me do just that.  It is my release, it documents my ups and my downs and allows me to realize when I was being dramatic.

Once again I filled a college ruled book with my thoughts, stories and emotions.  When putting it away with all the other journals I couldn't help but pick one up and begin reading.  It wasn't long before I closed it shaking my head thinking,"Oh lord.  It was not that serious."  But that is life.  Dramatic.

Till next time.