Is anyone keeping a diary or journal (specifically because of Covid)?

I started a journal when I was a senior in high school, and kept it for about 3-4 years, writing almost every day, documenting my thoughts, feelings, loves, hates, angers, desires, conflicts, hypocrisy, and conversations.

I remember the first day I began it, and what caused me to begin writing it, but that it not relevant to anyone.

So, I was wondering if, since we are all in uncertain times because of coronavirus—times that probably none of us have ever seen or experienced before—anyone who has never journaled has now begun to do so, or might consider it? Sure, we have the historical record, plenty of articles that will be archived to reflect this time, and we also have tweets, FB posts, and even ATS, etc that document our lives: but it's all digital. So, maybe it might be a good time to document our daily lives in longhand or even in a word document, for the next 2 weeks, month, however long this lasts, in order to gauge our thoughts, feelings, reactions, anxieties, concerns, what we think and experience on a daily basis, and all those things deep down inside us, since we have time on our hands. 

It might do well to look back on, either ourselves or those who come after us.

Looking back on and reading my journal entries from when I was 18-21, I recall very little of everything I expressed, so reminiscing is nice. Sure, I recall some of it, but the details are what blow me away. And being one who loves first person sources and narratives, from slave narratives, to Civil War diaries, to New World diaries, this might be a good time to document our own personal lives for the future, both for ourselves and others, since it's something so new to us and something we have never collectively gone through.

Additionally, we never truly know ourselves until we look within ourselves, and express and open ourselves—to ourselves. It can be truly therapeutic, calming, and satisfying. 

originally posted by: Liquesence
I started a journal when I was a senior in high school, and kept it for about 3-4 years, writing almost every day, documenting my thoughts, feelings, loves, hates, angers, desires, conflicts, hypocrisy, and conversations.

I remember the first day I began it, and what caused me to begin writing it, but that it not relevant to anyone.

So, I was wondering if, since we are all in uncertain times—times that probably none of us have every seen or experienced before—anyone who has never journaled has now begun to do so, or might consider it? Sure, we have the historical record, plenty of articles that will archived to reflect this time, and we also have tweets, FB posts, and even ATS, etc that document our lives: but it's all digital. So, maybe it might be a good time to document our daily lives in longhand or even in a word document, for the next 2 weeks, month, however long this lasts, in order to gauge our thoughts, feelings, reactions, anxieties, concerns, what we think and experience on a daily basis, and all those things deep down inside us, since we have time on our hands. 

It might do well to look back on, either ourselves or those who come after us.

Looking back on my journal entries from when I was 18-21, I recall very little of everything I expressed that I've been reading, trying reminiscing. Sure, I recall some of it, but the details are what blow me away. And being one who loves first person sources and narratives, from slave narratives, to Civil War diaries, to New World diaries, this might be a good time to document our own personal lives for the future, both for ourselves and others, since it's something so new to us and something we have never collectively gone through.

Additionally, we never truly know ourselves until we look within ourselves, and express and open ourselves—to ourselves. It can be truly therapeutic, calming, and satisfying. 

That is an excellent idea, the best thing is you don't have to write down with today's tech do a video journal, great idea.

a reply to: putnam6

It really is, and nothing special is needed. If you know how to write, if you have paper and pen/pencil, it doesn't matter if the power goes out, the phone dies, or the internet goes out.

It's what people have been doing for hundreds and thousands of years.

originally posted by: Liquesence
a reply to: putnam6

It really is, and nothing special is needed. If you know how to write, if you have paper and pen/pencil, it doesn't matter if the power goes out, the phone dies, or the internet goes out.

It's what people have been doing for hundreds and thousands of years.

Definitely, if nothing else it gets you off of the computer and gives you time to gather your thoughts..

No, I hate how my voice sounds on paper..

originally posted by: Jefferton
No, I hate how my voice sounds on paper..

And you think it sounds good on ATS?

Well, given the current situation, I guess oversharing a bit might not be terribly out of place.

There is a person who I love very much, a family member, who I am and have been estranged from for a long time.

As a means of coping with the separation anxiety that comes from such things, I've been keeping a journal for a few years now, written in the form of a letter to this individual.

Sometimes I go for weeks without entering a single world into it. Other times I add dozens of pages in a single entry.

I guess in an abstract way I - feel - like that if something were to happen to me that this person would somehow wind up receiving everything I have written.

In reality it's a pipe dream. The blunt truth is that if I were to die or find myself in a situation where I would be forced to leave my belongings behind, nobody would bother to look at the contents of my hard drive. Partly out of respect for my privacy and partly because I imagine at least a couple of family members would be keen on calling dibs on my stuff - particularly my PC.

Some will possibly reply with something like "Quit writing diaries and just talk to the person!" I have and I do. But when there are fractured relationships involved... Well sometimes there are things you desperately wish you could discuss but realize that tabling those thoughts would just cause problems. A vague example I can think of is when my parents divorced when I was a child. I couldn't talk to either of my parents about my feelings because all either of them wanted to do was to inform me of how terrible the other was.

It's not unlike that.

I've written into this letter I'll never send a lot this week. A lot.

a reply to: Liquesence

I do. I've been keeping one since I was 18 years old. I'm now 40.
I turned 22 years of it into two books.

Yes, I'm writing about all this in it.
I feel like I might write a third book now. If I make it another 10 or so years that is.

I keep mine in a waterproof/fireproof locked box.
My most valuable possession.
It is my precious.

No. I never want anyone else to know what my thoughts are, or were at any given time.

a reply to: Hefficide

I get it, and glad to hear you're journaling.

There have been a few people I have had feelings for, been friends with, and had true connections with where things fell apart, and where I have written things I wanted to say in the moment, but refrained. I've composed texts, emails, and letters that I *wanted* to send in the moment, but using discretion I set it aside. I save everything, however, for that record, so it's not unlike your letters. I have even left notes with some of them, which include such things as "If something happens to me, see that _____ gets/sees this."

Pipe dream, perhaps, but I believe what one puts out has meaning, in the end. And when you are gone, what you'vee compsed will show depths of you few probably knew.

So I get it.

I've written into this letter I'll never send a lot this week. A lot.

Isolation can definitely make one long, and pine.

originally posted by: HalWesten
No. I never want anyone else to know what my thoughts are, or were at any given time.

Are you ashamed?

I'm an introvert. While I do have disturbing thoughts at times, my thoughts are a chronicle of me, from me, not what others perceive.

I am not ashamed.

originally posted by: Liquesence

originally posted by: HalWesten
No. I never want anyone else to know what my thoughts are, or were at any given time.

Are you ashamed?

I'm an introvert. While I do have disturbing thoughts, my thoughts are a chronicle of me, from me, not what others perceive.

I am not ashamed.

Nope, not at all. I don't have disturbing thoughts like wanting to kill people or destroy a city, but my thoughts are my own. My thoughts wouldn't make sense to most people, they're like dumping everything out all at once into a pile, then I have to sort them out so they make sense. If I wrote them in a diary it would be a long, rambling jumble not worth reading.

a reply to: HalWesten

If I wrote them in a diary it would be a long, rambling jumble not worth reading.

Those make for very interesting reads, lol. Like my Journal when I was 18-21.

BUT, it would give a perspective of you during this experience, which is singular to you.

a reply to: Liquesence

In the back of my mind, I was thinking now would be a good time to start keeping a journal. Even right before all of this, I was thinking I should start writing. It is a good way to let things out. It helps me realize and sort out my thoughts and feelings.

So, you inspired me to actually start. I wrote on my phone's memo pad but will probably convert it to pen and paper. I do regret not starting earlier because I think it would have flowed better if I would have documented day by day instead of clumping together the last few days..but it's better than not starting at all.

originally posted by: Liquesence
a reply to: HalWesten

If I wrote them in a diary it would be a long, rambling jumble not worth reading.

Those make for very interesting reads, lol. Like my Journal when I was 18-21.

BUT, it would give a perspective of you during this experience, which is singular to you.

I know who I am, I don't need to look back on a diary/journal to try to figure me out. And to be honest, I'm a hell of a lot better person than I was years ago. What I went through is what made me who I am today, I have no interest in re-living it.

originally posted by: HalWesten

originally posted by: Liquesence
a reply to: HalWesten

If I wrote them in a diary it would be a long, rambling jumble not worth reading.

Those make for very interesting reads, lol. Like my Journal when I was 18-21.

BUT, it would give a perspective of you during this experience, which is singular to you.

I know who I am, I don't need to look back on a diary/journal to try to figure me out. And to be honest, I'm a hell of a lot better person than I was years ago. What I went through is what made me who I am today, I have no interest in re-living it.

Fair enough.

But you can learn a lot in retrospect. Looking back on me via a journal a kept, it was a nice trip down memory lane at remembering how #d up I was, and what I was thinking, and what I was doing. This might also turn out to be same, since few of us have gone through it. That's the point.

But hey, to each his or her own. I respect that.

originally posted by: Liquesence

originally posted by: HalWesten

originally posted by: Liquesence
a reply to: HalWesten

If I wrote them in a diary it would be a long, rambling jumble not worth reading.

Those make for very interesting reads, lol. Like my Journal when I was 18-21.

BUT, it would give a perspective of you during this experience, which is singular to you.

I know who I am, I don't need to look back on a diary/journal to try to figure me out. And to be honest, I'm a hell of a lot better person than I was years ago. What I went through is what made me who I am today, I have no interest in re-living it.

Fair enough.

But you can learn a lot in retrospect. Looking back on me via a journal a kept, it was a nice trip down memory lane at remembering how #d up I was, and what I was thinking, and what I was doing. This might also turn out to be same, since few of us have gone through it. That's the point.

But hey, to each his or her own. I respect that.

As do I. You asked.

a reply to: Liquesence

I'm not.

Because there will be other horrors visited upon us in our lifetime.

I saw the Moon landing.
I saw the Vietnam war.
I saw disco.

I've traveled through history.

This is just a blip on the radar of humanity. Maybe not even a blip.

We see things anthropomorphically.

It's always biased.

I've thought about it, actually physically writing (in cursive) a journal. I've thought about this for years, even writing up historical events on clay tablets, firing them into ceramic and burying them for some future archeologist to find and decipher. But with everything I have to do and want to do, I just don't have time for such activities lately.

Interestingly enough, our supervisor came to me and another employee to tell us what's been going on and asked if we could change our schedule to fit the current situation. After that she told us she had been keeping a log with all the ongoing information on CORVID-19 and how it's effecting her and work (likely other things too, she didn't elaborate).

Morale is so low, when she caught up to us we were sitting down talking instead of working and she just made a kind of funny comment and left it alone. We all felt the low morale and it is destroying our motivation, and I'm sure all our faces showed it, hers did.

a reply to: DBCowboy

I saw the Moon landing.
I saw the Vietnam war.
I saw disco.

Did you keep a personal record?

We see things anthropomorphically.

It's always biased.

That's the point.