Friends

Friends have always been part of the journal experience for me. I was writing about this in the current version of the introduction on the weekend and began to think about the influence different people have had on my journal writing experience. Right from the start really. I also remember some really close friendships where we actually 'babysat' each other's journals when we were going away and didn't want housemates or family members to read them. All kinds of pacts have been in place over the years. From promising to NOT let people read things if we ended up in a coma to holding each other's journals for months on end. I had a 'summer fun' journal with one close friend and we kept it as a joint journal of "what we did this summer". Neither of us would want that in 'enemy' hands!!!

A friend who recently moved across the country just wrote to me today about rediscovering journal writing, and mentioned the fear about people reading your journal. It is such a difficult aspect to journal writing. It is actually one of the fears we all face that does change what people write. I have talked to some journallers who write certain things because they know a spouse or sibling is reading it. I am ok with the issue now - I figure if people read it then they deserve how they might feel. I know I use my journal to vent, and I also write total fiction in it sometimes.

My bigger fear is what happens to my collection after I die ... not sure how to deal with that one. Conversely though I have dealt with this a little as I have got a notebook each of my kids specifically written for them for when they are older - or when I am not around... maybe I am weird?

Anyway - the main thing today was remembering that for the whole life and journal journey, friends make life the experience richer. Thanks TW.