A Note to You

So far, this is how it’s added up.

145,766 words

5,198 revisions

3,120 hours

208 posts

17 themes

From my journal: October 20, 2020, Newbury Park, California

“Scheduled my first two blog posts- yay! Feeling more comfortable with the format and content…long time coming…it’s now a reality!”

When I realized that I have been writing my blog posts every week for the last four years it surprised me. Yes, that’s 1,460 days, most of which have been spent working on a post! Why was I surprised? Because I had doubts about posting a blog in the first place. Could I really commit to writing a 500 -1,500 word essay every seven days? What if I couldn’t think of anything to write about? Then there was the research part. How long would it take me to track down an entry in one of my hundreds of journals that would relate to my “theme”? What if I couldn’t find anything that would tie-in? And last, what if I got negative feedback from readers? Or worse yet, what if absolutely no one, read it or subscribed? 

It definitely took me more than four years of thinking about posting a blog, before actually writing it! Fear of failure, perfectionism, and relatability are my sentries. They stand guard between what I want to do and what I do. Even though I’m familiar with failure, and always learn from what doesn’t work out, it still feels risky, and being publicly exposed scares me. Then there’s my inner critic that says if something isn’t perfect, why do it?  This voice has admittedly gotten a lot quieter over the years, but it’s still there. I now counter it with one of Robert’s favorite sayings, “Don’t let great be the enemy of good enough,” which is a paraphrase of French writer Voltaire’s adage, “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of good.” And then there’s the relatability factor. I wondered if there would be people, “seasoned” like me or otherwise, interested in reading about my common experiences with family, friends, health, travel, and daily life. I am not famous, a celebrity or an influencer. My world is not regularly documented on Facebook, Instagram, or any other public social media, only in private handwritten composition books, spirals, and journals.

Like anything new, anything unknown, anything scary, beginning is half the battle. My initial reasons for starting were to write my life events as short memoir pieces, share my experiences and discoveries, and to continue to hone my writing skills. They’re the same ones keeping me writing and posting today.  

Do I still worry about committing to posting each week? Sometimes, but action begets action and now that I’ve published 208 posts, I know I can keep my blog going. Am I concerned about perfection? Not as much, although I feel some of my posts better convey what I wanted to say than others. And as far as relatability goes, while I do not have thousands or several hundreds of subscribers, I appreciate all of you who read my blog and have commented. If I can connect with even one person, it makes me feel good. A wise teacher and friend once told me that in a class of many, if you touch just one child, you’ve succeeded. (Thank you, Imelda!)

So many unexpected joys have come from writing ajournaljourney.com, one of which is being able to see my life through different phases, stages, and ages. Each reminding me of the places, people, and events that have made my ordinary life feel extraordinary to me. And you, dear reader, are a part of this journey. Thank you for letting me share my stories with you. Thank you so very much!