men who write in or keep journals

[hatguy1]

After a while I started writing the same thing over and over again (skipped breakfast, went to class, lunch was okay/terrible, dinner was okay/terrible, joined <X> club). The monotony of it and the growing lack of time meant that I was writing in my journal less and less. Originally, I wanted to give it to my mom as a Christmas present, but nothing really goes on that's that exceptional.

I know the feeling. I've journaled for the past year pretty steadily everyday. Most days I don't think my entries would be of much interest to anybody. That's because they're mostly "how my day went" kinds of entries. Every once in awhile I muse something philosophical or less diarylike, though.

It's supposed to do wonders for your handwriting, though.

I hope so. Certainly mine hasn't rivaled anything a Victorian Era writer would've scrawled, but I have noticed my poor handwriting has become a little less poor quality.

 

[hatguy1]

I'm increasingly fearful the information on the internet can all be lost. To be safe, having a hard copy of whatever you feel worthy of preservation is a really wise idea.

True that! I've heard more than one historian lament that a lot of the digital age memories that used to fill letters, photo albums, scrapbooks and the like are lost to history everyday as we empty our email inboxes, delete texts and pictures from our cellphones to free up more memory.

 

[nick123]

I did it for a class in high school and some time after. I'd even print out pictures related to whatever I was writing, and glue them onto the pages!

 

[Shangas]

I've kept a diary on and off since junior school. But I can get very lazy about writing anything in it. I keep all my old finished diaries in a filing cabinet.

 

[Edward]

I have every work diary I've had in sixteen years, all on my shelf, just in case I need them. I'll burn them all the day I retire. Only ever kept a journal type diary twice. For a few weeks when I was twelve. Burned that the first time it was found. No regrets, I had nothing of value to say at that age. Kept another for a couple of weeks in 2000, backpacking through Eastern Europe. That reinforced for me a big reason I don't like the idea: far too easy to gdt ducked into writing about inner thoughts that I don't want out there. I've never read that one; when I get around to putting the photos from that trip into an album, I'll skim it for details of place names, then I'll burn without otherwise reading.

Yes, but then it becomes libel once you put such things in print:

It's only libel once published to at least one person other than the author or subject.

 

[apba1166]

I've kept one for about 8 years. I have work ones that go back to 1991. Once every few years I come across them and open to random pages. Amazing how it collapses time. No value in those but I can't throw them out for some reason. The personal ones on the other hand I use. I have mostly ideas, book quotes, thoughts abut other people's thoughts, ideas for scenes, descriptions, images, and some relationship stuff in there. I use small leather bounds from Graphic Arts because they open flat pretty well. Rare that any day is more than a dozen lines, and a lot of days are just voids. I've found that by putting one thing down from an occurrence it can later generate other memories. For certain projects, I keep a specific journal for that.

 

[hatguy1]

Here's an interesting and quick way to make an affordable and attractive journal:

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2015/04/02/diy-pocket-notebooks-from-six-pack-cartons/

I modified their design a bit and used both the front and back 6-pack panel as the front and back cover so as to get a larger, more-journal-sized notebook as a result. Then I used a high-capacity stapler (one rated for more than the typical desk stapler of <25 sheets) and stapled it down the side. Makes a pretty cool little journal.

I wish I'd seen this BEFORE I went out and bought the 6 commercially-manufactured journals I've filled up so far. I would've just made a batch of these and wrote in those.

 

[GHT]

Is this the right thread for this query? I do hope so. Americans, this is for you to answer. In Brit-speak of the English language, we have the irregularity of the past tense of the verb: "drive," as being "drove." But the past tense of the verb: "dive," as being "dived." Such is English!

Nowhere have I ever seen it differ in American-English publications, yet on many a forum I've come across "dove," as being the past participle of "dive." It's not that I'm arguing what is right and what is wrong, I'm just curious as to what exactly is taught in class: Dived, or, Dove.

Comments please.

 

[hatguy1]

This Yank was always taught to and has used "dove" as the past tense of "dive."

 

[Hercule]

This Yank was always taught to and has used "dove" as the past tense of "dive."

I would tend to agree but am not 100% sure as sometimes dived seems (sounds) acceptable:

Yesterday we dived on a wreck.
Yesterday we dove on a wreck.

Try not to dwell on it, I'm sure there are more important things to obsess over. Sorry,... over which to obsess.

 

[hatguy1]

Your "obsess" advice was to our Brit friend, I assume?

I learned something from this - apparently BOTH usages are now correct. Dictionary.com now includes the following: "— verb (used with object), dived or dove, dived, div·ing."






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[Hercule]

Your "obsess" advice was to our Brit friend, I assume?


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Oh, yes. Sorry that wasn't clear. I was distracted by the idea of making a journal out an empty 6-pack carrier. Well, actually more about emptying the container...

 

[hatguy1]

...more about emptying the container...

Yeah. That's the best part of that whole activity. ;-p



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[GHT]

I'm sure there are more important things to obsess over. Sorry,... over which to obsess.

Now there's a curious point of debate. To obsess is a verb, quoted as to obsess, it is, like all verbs, known as, the infinitive.

On our side of the pond, back in the 40's, 50's & most of the 60's, any self respecting English teacher would be foaming at the mouth if you split the infinitive.

Now Hercule, states that, "there are more important things to obsess over," then changes it to: " over which to obsess."

Note that the verb, to obsess, isn't split whichever way it's quoted. That is how I was taught, never split the infinitive.

So how come that the script writers of Star Trek managed to split the infinitive with, "To boldly go," when the correct grammar is: "To go, boldly?"

I leave it with you.

 

[Hercule]

Well, my reasoning for the restatement a mildly sarcastic acknowledgement that I had dangled the participle and corrected myself. Some people seem to be bothered by that, though I think I remember learning that it is based on an erroneous rule dating back to the turn of the 20th cent. I could be wrong though. Either way I'm certainly the last person who should be arguing points of grammar. As for the Star Trek reference, I've heard that before, though I dare say you wont' find many bothered by it.

I think the problem is that the written word represents a more formal standard than the spoken word. People simply don't write the way they speak. I would suggest this stems back to modern languages' roots in more formally constructed languages where word tenses, cases and proximity needed to match more precisely in order to convey precisely the intended message. The spoken vernacular, by its very nature, just cut scorners that can't be cut in writing. Admittedly I learned that lesson (or at least became more aware of the issue) a bit late, while working on my dissertation in grad school. I had a prof. (may he rot in Hell! - [for many other reasons as well]) who became an absolute idiot when it came to reading text. If a comma, adverb or adjective was out of place (heaven forbid I should use "it" to refer to something), he had absolutely no idea was was being said. And don't get me started about Strunk and White...

 

[guillaumeb]

So I actually just started. Or more precisely it is a private blog. As I was deciding between paper and electronic I realized there is more advantages to me with a private blog.

- Can search specific entries
- can organize/group thoughts with tags
- can use it on mobile
- can more easily add pictures
- can export it in PDF or HTML
- even probably make a printed book each year out of it

Being into webdesign, I also like the fact that I can customize it the way I want

But then paper is usually said to be better when it comes to actually letting it out. So instead of simply transcribing my daily routine, which I find pointless and boring, I only focus on one particular thing that retained my attention on that day. That either suprised me, deceived me, made me happy, or a thought that crossed my mind... it does not need to be long. It can just be a couple of sentences

 

[MissJilliss2Thrill]

So I actually just started. Or more precisely it is a private blog. As I was deciding between paper and electronic I realized there is more advantages to me with a private blog.

- Can search specific entries
- can organize/group thoughts with tags
- can use it on mobile
- can more easily add pictures
- can export it in PDF or HTML
- even probably make a printed book each year out of it

Being into webdesign, I also like the fact that I can customize it the way I want

But then paper is usually said to be better when it comes to actually letting it out. So instead of simply transcribing my daily routine, which I find pointless and boring, I only focus on one particular thing that retained my attention on that day. That either suprised me, deceived me, made me happy, or a thought that crossed my mind... it does not need to be long. It can just be a couple of sentences

I don´t mean to intrude, I am a lady, but was curious to read about and speak with the men on this forum that write journals. I very much relate to you Guillaume, I too write one thing that caught my attention per day. Two things when it was an eventful day It is a way to focus and to discuss different topics each day. Stimulating, refreshing and meaningful.

And I too use a blog to write my thoughts onto, to order my musings on life and to save them for further use/publication or print. It´s great.

I can really recommend setting up a little platform of your own. Building a website is that easy!

 

[Redshoes51]

I am curious to know how many men write in a journal.

I do... I started writing the day my Dad had his stroke back in '96... I knew he wasn't going to survive... and I had regretted not writing about the events that transpired during the illness and death of my Mom. I went to the university bookstore and purchased a bound sketch book... and just started. I was a bit surprised in a few months to have my Dad's Death Journal turn into my Divorce Journal, but sometimes, Life is just that way.

I've enjoyed it and have written about a multitude of events that have happened in my life... or that i have witnessed.

Writing in a journal was an incentive for me to start a blog... which I have thoroughly enjoyed...

I look forward to reading the other entries here... like you, I haven't been that aware of men that journal.

~shoes~

 

[MisterCairo]

I've been keeping a war diary of my current naval deployment, and kicking myself that I didn't do the same for my first voyage back in aught eight. My plan on returning home is to write down my recollections of that voyage.

I also hope to keep at least a twice or thrice weekly journal once on terra firma.

 

[Old Mariner]

I keep one, but it is more so for my spiritual experiences and other aspects relating to such, than for "everyday journaling". I used to have a site for all of this, but that was because it is far easier to organize information in a virtual reality online, than in tangible form. Once I got it organized though, I took down my site and am in the process of finishing up my journal.