Today’s post is aimed specifically towards seniors. Why? Probably because seniors have the most to share and the least amount of time left to share it. Seniors also have quite a bit of free time that could be spent journaling. Here are some real benefits you’ll get out of it:
- Busy Brain Work: Word games like Connections or Wordle, activate and invigorate your brain. Writing about your life will do the same. Once you start, more memories will come out of the mists. Think of it as brainstorming or a family dinner. Conversations are not linear, they do all over the place but one idea gets things going, All it takes is something to get the ball rolling then the rest will come more easily.
- Getting Started: In your life, there will be certain events that stick out. Maybe a special birthday party or gift, a person you met who keeps popping up in your mind now and then, that kind of thing. Write down about ten or twelve words that describe that time. Happy, sad, rain, snow, birds, your family pet, etc. Use a few of those words in a sentence, then a paragraph. Don’t worry about any order, either chronological or importance. Don’t worry about punctuation, either. Simply start writing a few words, leave it for a bit then come back. Whatever you do, if something comes to mind, make sure you write the thought or word down somewhere. Get enough of the idea on paper so you will remember what the thought was. (Trust me, I’ve got sheets with a few words that I wrote that make no sense to me at all!)
- Read: This should be at the top but I’ll leave it here. Reading and writing go together. I’m reading ‘The Tale of Genji’ these days. The writer’s style reminds me of a diary. She even tells us that she’s left things out that she didn’t think were important or were too personal to describe. Overall though, Murasaki Shikibu is simply describing what happened in and around Genji, While it might be fictional, she doesn’t seem to be making things up. It seems real. Additionally, she doesn’t go wild with descriptions. Her writing is very plain, I think, but easily readable. A journal is a bit like a diary but it has more to do with the past then what happened today. So, see if you can jot down some words about an incident in your life in a simple, easily readable style. Later on, you can add to it. In the meantime, read a bit every day so you get used to how other people arrange their thoughts. Genji is just an example but any historical work will do.
- Tools of the Trade: Paper and pencil/pen for starters. Once you’ve got a few ideas to work on, decide how you’re going to get them into a format that you can share with your family and friends. Remember that you don’t have to actually print your stories out, having your words in some digital form is enough. A laptop works for me because I can sit here in my easy chair, coffee at my side and type. Laptops and notebooks come in all shapes and sizes but the main thing for you to look for is something that will make the writing process as easy and simple as possible. You want to be thinking about your words and your past, not about USB or Bluetooth. Every laptop has a keyboard but if the standard keyboard isn’t comfortable, you can always hook a better one up to it. That goes for notebooks and cellphones too. Instead of writing on a touchscreen, letter by letter, add a keyboard and type away. Better yet, if your hands are arthritic or stiff and sore, just speak out loud. That takes getting used to but it gets easier. Every laptop, notebook or mobile device (cell phone) can record your voice. Once that’s done, the same device can transcribe your words into a document. Don’t worry about this part, I can help you with the details. Leave a comment below and I’ll help you out.
I hope this explains the basics for you. Let me know in a comment if you need clarification on any part of this. Whatever you do, don’t over complicate the process. If you start by writing on a napkin at Starbucks, fine. Start small and work your way up. Be yourself, keep it simple and try to write as often as you can.
Cheers!
Brian Mahoney
December 19th, 2024