"Says I to myself" Keeping a Journal

 

"Says I to myself” should be the motto of ,my journal. 

It is fatal to the writer to be too much possessed by his thought. 

Things must lie a little remote to be described.”

― Henry David Thoreau, The Journal, 1837-1861

Tomorrow morning I'll be engaged in an experiment at Trenton United Church. I'll be leading the first of two or three sessions on keeping a journal, a regular writing down of thoughts, impressions, emotional responses to circumstances, and conversations with God.

I've been writing in journals for decades now, and doing so is as much a pattern of my day as brushing my teeth. This strange time of apprehension and ennui and a fair amount of anxiety because of the pandemic might be the ideal time to begin a journal or return to writing one. 

I don't write to keep an hourly record of my activities, the way I once kept a day book for work. Nor do I revisit what I've written through the years very often, although I have looked back in preparation for this study group.  I find that the discipline or habit of writing each day leads me reflect on what I considered important in  my personal thoughts, my interactions with others, my gratitude for life, and my impressions of the events of the world. 

I'm often surprised that I have something to reflect upon, even on days when I figure I'm the most boring person imaginable. Someone has suggested that "writing in your journal is the only way to find out what you should be writing about." The Thoreau quote, above,  implies that we need a little distance from our thoughts, through writing, in order to give them some focus and perspective. 

My journal isn't intentionally spiritual in focus, yet I regularly meander in that direction. God makes cameo appearances or is the focus of my thoughts, or is simply present in the background. 

Tomorrow will be in-person, with careful protocols, and on Zoom. If you would like to join us you're certainly welcome. Together we can seek some meaning in the muddle. 

If you missed our first session but would like to join us next Wednesday at 10:00, please contact Rev. Isaac Mundy at Trenton United Church and he'll include you on the Zoom list.