I'm so glad you are feeling better, my friend. You have so much to deal with- both the wonderful and the exhausting. I wish you continued healing and peace and a cruise into this milestone birthday!
I have a shelf of journals over my writing desk. I used to keep them piled in a storage bin, certain at some point I'd relegate them to a bonfire, but I just can't bring myself to do it. So I now see them as evidence of a life lived each time I'm in my office. I never reread them and I have no children to leave them to, so at some point they may go the way of that bonfire. But for the moment, there they are... Photo albums same same. What to do... something to think about after retirement, but I do weigh the weight of carrying these around vs the sentimentality of memories...
Maybe, on the day we meet, we can toss our pasts into the fire together! I love the notion but ... I have to admit that I just opened a journal from 2007 and right there, on page one, it said, "I want to be a little less hard on myself." Which I also wrote just a couple weeks ago, so there's no way around it, this has been a recurring challenge in my life! And then a couple pages later in the 2007 journal, I lifted an idea that fits perfectly into the novel I'm currently working on. So you just never know when old writing will come in handy, right?
So true! I know that's why I hold onto them. I toyed with writing a memoir. I've used my life most often in short stories and there's still so many to write... I've carted these things to New Zealand and back, so I'll hold onto them until my heart tells me it's time to let go. But we can still plan on sitting around that bonfire together. xoxo
My paper publication history is much smaller so does that mean I can keep it? LOL No one ever looks at it, and I'm sure the papers have archives. Or not.
My work (starting 1983) predates the digitized archives at The Morning Call, last time I checked—plus, I'd have to pay to access a copy! Times have never been great for writers, but come on! As for digitizing, when you scan newspaper, the light goes right through the paper and the words on the front get blurred by words on the backside. I do have reviews I could probably let go of, but if I'm keeping most of them, I say you can keep yours too!
Love this, Kathryn! I go through the same journey each time I go through old notebooks and papers....
I’d be surprised if there wasn’t a writer who feels the same way!
I'm so glad you are feeling better, my friend. You have so much to deal with- both the wonderful and the exhausting. I wish you continued healing and peace and a cruise into this milestone birthday!
I have a shelf of journals over my writing desk. I used to keep them piled in a storage bin, certain at some point I'd relegate them to a bonfire, but I just can't bring myself to do it. So I now see them as evidence of a life lived each time I'm in my office. I never reread them and I have no children to leave them to, so at some point they may go the way of that bonfire. But for the moment, there they are... Photo albums same same. What to do... something to think about after retirement, but I do weigh the weight of carrying these around vs the sentimentality of memories...
Maybe, on the day we meet, we can toss our pasts into the fire together! I love the notion but ... I have to admit that I just opened a journal from 2007 and right there, on page one, it said, "I want to be a little less hard on myself." Which I also wrote just a couple weeks ago, so there's no way around it, this has been a recurring challenge in my life! And then a couple pages later in the 2007 journal, I lifted an idea that fits perfectly into the novel I'm currently working on. So you just never know when old writing will come in handy, right?
So true! I know that's why I hold onto them. I toyed with writing a memoir. I've used my life most often in short stories and there's still so many to write... I've carted these things to New Zealand and back, so I'll hold onto them until my heart tells me it's time to let go. But we can still plan on sitting around that bonfire together. xoxo
My paper publication history is much smaller so does that mean I can keep it? LOL No one ever looks at it, and I'm sure the papers have archives. Or not.
My work (starting 1983) predates the digitized archives at The Morning Call, last time I checked—plus, I'd have to pay to access a copy! Times have never been great for writers, but come on! As for digitizing, when you scan newspaper, the light goes right through the paper and the words on the front get blurred by words on the backside. I do have reviews I could probably let go of, but if I'm keeping most of them, I say you can keep yours too!
What a treasure trove! Thanks for sharing a little of it with us.
Great to hear from you Courtney!
You too! So glad you're feeling better.