My Birthday Journal Entry
For the past ten years I've kept one a single, special journal, and I've reserved one page to be written per year.
My favourite annual tradition, one which I save for my birthday, is adding the next page to what I call my Life Journal. I love trying to remember all the best times and people that affected my year. I then try sum up everything I want to remember on one single, small, page.
I'll keep adding to it for a couple weeks after, but on the day it usually takes four to five hours, and it itself is one of the highlights of my year. I’ll read my years journal entries, scroll through my calendar day by day, go through the names of people I was messaging, check the new people I followed on Instagram. Basically any place I might get clues to remind myself of whay happened that year.
The end result is a single page in the journal. At the top of the page is a list of places I lived, and the names of friends or acquaintances that I want to rememer. What follows is a list of highlights and all of my favourite moments.
Here’s a selection of highlights from my last year:
A magical first date with a beautiful silly soul where I felt more connection than I had in a long time. We dated for a couple of months but it didn't work out. (I've only listed the good memories).
Finishing my goal of bringing a piece of art to Burning Man, and seeing the reaction of peoplethere.
One day spent with a new friend, flowing together through Mexico City and collecting so many momentos (a charicature, polaroid of us on a park bench, stickers and stories for days).
Getting to the point where I’m proud of the ceramics I’m making, and then feeling of gifting a good piece to my mom.
An awful hike I did with a really close friend I hadn't seen in almost ten years. The hike really was bad, but I only have fond memories of it now.
That all said when it comes to what goes in the journal, I only write just enough to trigger the memory... because I love the process of trying to remember the story behind it. For instance one other line in this years journal reads "Dragon porn". IYKYK.