Working from home the past few weeks has given me a little more free time in the mornings. I still get up at the same time (5 am), but I don’t have to worry about a commute or getting dressed for the office, so I have some extra time to do a little writing. Gotta take advantage of the silver linings, right?
Most of my morning writing lately has been in my journal. I think it’s because of all the doom and gloom happening right now. Not just the pandemic, but also the ridiculous hoarding, the stupidity and selfishness of people who are refusing to do the right thing, and the mismanagement by our leaders. It’s frustrating, scary, and there’s no way to escape from it all.
So instead of letting it sit in my head and fester, I’ve been writing about it every morning. It’s been a good way to start the day. I can dump all that garbage on the page, vent my frustrations, and try to understand why things are the way they are…and why some people are the way they are.
Unfortunately, I haven’t found any answers. And honestly, I don’t expect to, but it’s still a healthier alternative than letting it sit in my head. When I do that I end up pacing around, fuming, talking to my dogs and wondering why they like humans so much because we sure don’t deserve their undying loyalty.
I’ve been filling several pages every morning, so much so that my hand ends up cramping up holding the pen. Four or five pages coming out in a mad rush, ink smearing on the cheap paper, my body hunched over the edge of the table…well, it’s not good for the posture, but when I get in the zone I lose track of everything else. And I think that’s part of the therapy. Let the world fall away and the words flow.
I hope that others are doing this, too. Writing about the things on our minds, the pressures, the stresses, the joy and the happiness, too, is good for us. It’s healthy to vent. And as a reminder, once you vent you don’t have to keep the pages. Once it’s out of your head you can shred them or burn them or turn them into origami swans. Just write, keep the words going, and you’ll find you feel better afterwards.
Stay safe. Stay sane.
RB
I also journal. However, I keep the diary books on file as reference material to use when I feel frustrated about the same problems cycling over and over in life.
What an interesting idea, Swabby. I imagine that would be tidier than my bookshelves filled with old paper journals. 🙂
I’m obsessive about archiving things. Perhaps I was a librarian in a past incarnation. 🙂