Journal or Blog?

My journals

One of my goals is to write every day, whether in one of my many journals, with my students in class, or, now that I am experimenting with blogging, online.  This goal is not a difficult one for me, especially since I pretty much write Monday through Friday with my students, and . . . I do love to write.  The problem that I have isn't the writing part but rather the format for writing.  Am I going to write in my journal today, or am I going to blog?  Such a dilemma, considering I love doing both!

I credit my big sister for making me fall in love with journaling.  When she was in junior high, she had one of those diaries that locked.  I was fascinated with every aspect of that diary! She wrote in it religiously, and I would watch her from my corner of our bedroom as her hand moved across the page.  Sometimes she would write what seemed like pages and pages while other times she would quickly jot a few lines.  When she wasn't home, I would take her diary from its hiding place (under the bed) and just hold it in my hands, marveling at the look and feel of it.  It was the lock, symbolizing secrets too scandalous for a ten year old, that mesmorized me, drawing my eye to it with hypnotic force.  It didn't take long for me to figure out that a little ol' bobby pin could unlock the secrets that my big sister spent so much time writing in her diary, carving her tiny teenage history.  And I have been in love with journaling ever since!  I think it's the beauty of the hand written words on the crisp pages of a journal.  Or maybe it's the variety of beautiful journals available--I have tons of them, and I write in all of them at some time or another!  My favorite journal (which isn't full yet!) dates all the way back to 1982.  The very first entry is about my dad's unexpected death.  After that, I didn't write in it until 1984--it took me two years to open it and read that first entry.

Whatever the reason, my fascination with journals is neverending, and I know I will always fill their pages with my own stories and secrets.

And then there is the blogging world.  This writing format is still so new to me, and I continue to play with words and pictures.  I find myself having a love/hate relationship with blogging.  I feel more like a writer when I blog, probably because I know it will be published online, and so I write in a very different style and choose different topics than I do in my journals.  But oh, how I agonize over every little detail!  Blogging, for me, is much more work and way more stressful than journaling. I'm not sure what direction my blog is heading, and that is a little disconcerting right now.  There are just so many directions to go--there are family blogs, teacher blogs, baby blogs Crystal,wedding blogs, travel blogs Allison, food blogs, diary blogs about every day happenings and little things in life Lindsey, health blogs RA, exercise blogs, dating blogs, and on and on.  Right now, I'm not ready to simply go one way. I am drawn to blogging, nevertheless. As I find my place as a blogger, I hope the stress level will calm down a bit.  I was encouraged to try blogging by my amazing friends Hannah and Kari (please check out their blogs--they're amazing!)  They have been my teachers and cheerleaders as I try to discover my blogging voice.  If only one day I can be half the bloggers that they are, I will be happy!

Until then, I will continue bouncing back and forth between my journal and my blog site, leaving little tracks of reasons to believe along the way!.