Of Journals & Such

I've always had a thing for cute notebooks and journals, but can't really find a use for one. I'm bad at keeping track of my life, and I'm not one for writing notes either. As for writing poems & stories, I prefer writing them on the computer. That is why I always resist the impulse to buy, and instead wait for someone to give me one. My collection is slow-growing but the pace it's going suits me just fine.

The green Harry Potter journal was my first. A gift from my father when I turned 13. It holds the records of some important events that took place when I was in high school written in a painfully embarrassing way. Haha! The next one is the big bright green notebook that Liz gave me for Christmas 2007. My "whatever" notebook. I basically just fill it with whatever comes to mind. The third one to join my collection is the green handmade, almost-iridescent green journal I got from Gwen for Christmas 2008. I'm currently still struggling to turn it into a scrapbook. The fourth addition would be the brown Paris notebook Nicole gave me last May. It's the one I'm currently using as a journal and trying so hard to fill. The last one to become part of my feeble collection is James's gift last Christmas. A maroon-and-gold journal that simply looks magical.

If I haven't been writing in my blog lately, it's because I've been writing in my journal instead. The intimacy of writing something to be read by you and you alone has become more and more appealing to me. I find it more liberating because your only audience is yourself. You can bare as much soul as you want, and you won't feel so weird doing it. It's like finding yourself without nobody watching, so you're left with nothing but your instincts to guide you. It's like therapy for free. I'm not saying I'm giving up on blogging however, because it brings me a different kind of joy as well. I'm simply saying that I'm rediscovering a different world. A world of my own.

I know keeping a journal (or a diary if you prefer the term) is not an easy task, but it's really not so hard to do either. You just do what feels right for you. You write, paste, draw, whatever! It's your journal so you make your own rules. That's the best thing about it. You get to keep some memories alive as well. It's like making a personal time machine. You read back and you get transported back in time. If you have one, you probably know what I'm saying, but if you don't, well, try starting one if I've got your curiosity peaked. :)