I’m a senior, in case you were wondering. Since I’ve started this new journal, I’ve noticed a definite change in my mood. Usually it’s my daily exercise that picks me up but over the last couple of weeks, I know that this blog has as much or maybe more influence on my emotional well-being. Why is that? We’ll examine some of the reasons in this post.
First, there is a certain amount of organization that you need to sift through your memories. Scattered thoughts, bits and pieces of this and that aren’t worth writing down. But, if you record those little snippets of information on a piece of paper, you can go back to them later and organize everything in order for them to make sense to you and to anyone who reads your output. In other words, you’re training your brain to keep on target, to focus. It’s a type of exercise, very similar to solving a puzzle. A puzzle is a ‘one and done’ event, however. Writing out memories gives you a prize at the end, that prize being a page or two of something you’ve written. Good for you!
I mentioned bad memories previously. We have all had painful moments in our lives. Sometimes we can’t process those emotions, they’re just a jumble. Writing a journal entry about that period might help you process those memories into a more manageable form. The pain will still be there but if you can make it more linear, give it some structural form, perhaps it will be easier to handle from then on.
When I write here I don’t expect to have an audience. Maybe I will get one as time goes by but for now, it’s just me basically writing to myself. (I talk to myself all day anyway, out loud, often singing!) This is a bit like saying hello to people on the street. That’s something I do all the time and this is an extension of that. Every now and then someone will comment but even if no one does, I feel a sense of community, a purpose. Every post is an accomplishment. I can strut around the house, proud of what I’ve done…even if no one reads it.
As I get older, I’m finding that little things seem to bother me more than they used to. That’s because I have more time to myself. More time to think, more time to worry…you know what I mean. Your brain needs activity, it needs something to work on. If it doesn’t find anything, I swear that it shoots out things to worry about just to keep busy! Writing a journal takes your mind off the little, insignificant things that might usually upset you. You can now look in the mirror and say, “I’ve moved ahead, I’ve got a project to work on.” Once you start, you’ll have a focus. It’s not just keeping busy, right? Flower arranging or cleaning the oven will keep you busy but writing gives you so much more, I think. When someone asks you what you’re been doing lately, pull out your journal and show them!
Folks like us, and I mean anyone over the age of 50, go through more than a few changes. If you’re stuck without an idea in your journal, write about what life is like for you now, as a senior. Some comedians call us ‘wobblies’, a sarcastic term for someone who might not walk straight. I know for a fact that I don’t always walk in a straight line because my knees sometimes say to me, “I’m sorry Brian, I can’t do that right now.” It could be my hip or my Achilles tendon but you get the idea. But a younger person wouldn’t understand all of that. You can write about it so they’ll know what it’s all about as well as telling them what they have to look forward to.
I’ll end this now as it’s getting quite long. Thanks for reading. Feel free to comment below. I really would love to hear from you.
Cheers!
Brian Mahoney
December 20, 2024