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I am participating in the
All participants are sharing stories about moments in their lives, writing
every day for the month of March 2021.
Thank you, Two Writing Teachers, for nurturing teacher-writers!
I started another journaling notebook yesterday. I use simple five-subject, wire-bound, "college" notebooks for my daily, early morning writing; I have used these for years. I have been flying through notebooks this past year of pandemic and retirement. I have the time and the space. I write every day.
To what end? Why do I write?
During this year of pandemic, I have become more organized and focused about my writing - I actually carved out a space for it. I created a 'studio' space for myself in my basement, a warm and happy nook with many favorite treasures near at hand as muses. I like being in this space. Truth be told, I write in lots of other parts of my house, too. I just sort of flop into the coziest spot, often near a window, near light. Sometimes, if I have trouble writing, that's all I do - I move to a different spot in my house.
To what end? Why do I write?
I decided to gather all my writing notebooks and have them in one place, in my writing nook. My goodness, I have been so disorganized - these journals were in closets, my bedside table, everywhere. Yes, I found all my journals and put them in order by date. Looking at this collection of journals, I could see that my journaling practice began very slowly, with scattered, infrequent entries during the early years of raising children. Back in these early days, I used a variety of sizes of 'proper' journals - I would buy a new journal as a treat for myself, hoping to capture thoughts on a regular basis. It didn't really work - I wrote inconsistently, with many months between entries. These early years, I didn't really have a 'writing practice' but a 'writing sometimes.'
At some point, I transitioned to the common notebooks. Oddly, I started writing more. Somehow, it freed me, writing became release. With an ordinary notebook, I find, I can pick up and put down as I wish, when I wish. I can even tear out pages, which is a nice feature. Funny, when I was teaching, I would take one-two years to complete one of these five-subject spiral notebooks; now, during this pandemic, I am filling one every few months. This is what time offers to writing.
Again, to what end? Why do I write?
Yes, I found all my journals and it is quite a stack! I put them in my magic cabinet. Magic cabinet, you ask? Oh, see, it's a leftover from my preschool teaching days. Back in the day, for my first classroom, I painted an old cabinet (and decoupaged - that alone tells you how many years ago this was, ha!). I kept it right next to my teaching chair, at our whole group gathering space. Every morning, as I set up for the day, I 'hid' special extras within, to unveil at the perfect time - a special book or puppet, an activity . . . you know, magic!
I don't know why I held onto this old cabinet. I should have tossed it, when I cleared out my classroom. Even here at home, I have been culling things left and right, throughout the pandemic, and I just can't bring myself to toss the magic cabinet. Yet.
It is a little weird to have it here at home.
It was even weirder to have it empty! So, that's where the journals are now. One day, I'll get rid of it. One day, one day, one day . . . .
Journals and cabinets - I can't live with them, I can't get rid of them. What am I supposed to do with this stuff? Anyone re-approach their writing notebooks? What do you recommend?
Again, to what end? Why do I write?
I don't know. I'm still writing! Ha!! Maybe I'll figure out why when I'm done. Maybe I'll throw everything away!
"Thank God I found the GOOD in goodbye."
- Beyonce Knowles
