I have to admit I was a little surprised to realize that today is the exact date I first wrote in my journal 25 years ago: 12 February 1981. Wow! What a long time to keep a journal. It is amazing how much has changed in those years.
The reasons I started my written (then electronic) journal were myriad; but probably the greatest reason was that, as a professional writer, I thought it was the thing to do. I was 21 years old, and had been in my new home of San Francisco for nearly two years.
All these years later I still try to keep to my New Year's Eve tradition of reading a past year's entries. The people I knew and forgot, the events, the things that seemed so important back then.
A few years ago I added a new section to my journal: memories from before 1981. This includes things my parents told me about their early lives together, childhood events, school, etc. As they come to my mind, I write them down. I have created a little timeline of my life. Pretty cool, when you think of it.
You know, it is never too late to start a journal -- even online journals, like web blogs. You might just be as surprised as I have been at how wonderful they can be.
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