I have been an avid-journaler since age 7.
My parents bought me the same journals for years. White cover. Large, lined pages. Plenty of space to write. Now I find those bulky and difficult to write in. Plain black & white academic-style composition book works great, though I'm a sucker for the fancy paper one finds in the journals at Boarders. I love the all-natural papers with leaves and flowers built into the paper, but find it impractical for daily writing. I tend to switch brands and styles with each journal, searching for the ultimate in paper perfection.
I have recently switched to journals that fit into my purse. I find it handy to be able to take my journal with me and write on the fly.
Journaling is a lifestyle. It is a way of processing your thoughts and getting your thoughts out in a way that no one should see or read. It is also a method of coping. I write with the understanding that there is always potential for someone to read what I write. I assume some great-grandniece will stumble upon them long after I'm gone. I do keep my paper journals private, and my online journals more public.
I like the standard stalk PaperMate black tip, white body pens. I usually find a package of 12 for 65cents around "back to school" time at Target. While I was in France, I grew quite fond of another pen style, which is unfortunately no longer in production. I prefer the "Cheap" PaperMates because they always write, and their ink is honestly quite reliably slick. Something about the weight and balance of the pen works with my fingers as well. I have mastered this particular pen and pray that it will never leave production as long as I am able to write. I would mourn the loss of my plain-jane pens. I am not fond of gel pens of any new-fangled pen that I have tried. Occasionally I will find one that I enjoy, but invariably I cannot find it the next time I shop. So I stick with the PaperMate.
Journaling takes some getting used to. At first, you never quite know what to write. But then when you're in the habit, the words start to gush. That's when you know you'll never turn back.
My brother once kept a journal. he wrote in it for years. then ripped every page out and burned them, leaving the empty shell on his shelf. Something very emotional about it. It's the same as mine - save his name in the front cover. Even this journal is something to be treasured. It speaks of a time that only the writer will remember.
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"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq
"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy
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