It’s beguiling to photograph the dog asleep, post it in Day One and wax lyrical on the joys of canine companions. You can even slap it onto Instagram while you’re there and share your love.
However, it doesn’t take long for me to get bored of endless photos of sleeping dogs, blue skies and lovely plates of food.
Throughout a day at my desk, I jot notes in notebook. These are usually tasks, or things that I need to remember. They either get done, or added to Things. They are fleeting, impermanent. I have fallen out of the habit of carrying a pocket notebook, rationalising that I can always grab something in Drafts on my phone if necessary. I miss it. So much so, that I have just pulled my notebook from its drawer and placed it in front of me. A habit renewed, I hope. Mostly, notes in this book are similar to those in my desk notebook.
I keep a contemplative journal too. This is a larger book (currently a B5 from Bomo Art in Hungary). As per my desk notebook, I prefer it to be freeform. Sometimes I write every day, and then perhaps nothing for a week. This is where I get all new age and muse upon love, life and the chaos of existence. I focus on expressing gratitude and considering my approach to life. I hold the Stoics in high esteem, and wish to be stoic in my outlook.
When it comes to the archive question, I’m undecided. Do my musings have any lasting value? I don’t know. I’m not going to rush. At times, I feel driven to throw them out, and at others to flick through them and ponder the memories that they bring back. Whether they outlast me will probably by decided by fate. At some point, I will die, and at some point I will resolve to dispose of my notebooks.
Which will come first?
None of us know. That’s the thing about death. It seldom makes an appointment.
My writing is supported by people like you. You can become a member of the site here. Members access the serialisation of my first novel draft, and give comments to me in a member's Slack. They also get a free electronic copy of anything that I publish during their membership. Sign up - help me move writing from a side-project to a main project.
