21 Mar, 2020
Another “must do” activity in the age of Coronavirus?
Posted by andrea tomkins in: Misc. life
I got a journal for Christmas and it’s been sitting on my bureau in our bedroom, unused. I saw it this morning and I realized that I do actually need a journal for something right now … tracking our family’s life and movement during this pandemic.
When someone gets sick with a communicable illness like COVID-19 they’re always asked about their movements and who they may have come in contact with. If you asked me where I was the Tuesday before last I wouldn’t remember. Did I grab a coffee at the cafeteria that day? Who picked up the milk after I did? Is that the day we did a grocery run after work?
So I’m going to start jotting things down in a diary format, and not just my movements, but that of my family currently living at home here at Casa Fishbowl. I’m choosing to undertake this project with pen and paper instead of a digital format (e.g notes on my iPhone).
Also worth noting: Mental health experts say journalling is a great – not to mention cheap – way to sort out our thoughts. Just getting our feelings out on paper is recommended as a way to clear a busy brain. Writing is a cathartic act.
I will keep calm and write on! And for the record, I refuse to let any feelings of perfection get in the way here. This diary, and the contents, will not be fancy. No blossoming literary great here! And if I’m feeling uninspired I promise to be satisfied with simple bullet points and the occasional doodle. (Confession: the reason I don’t write in paper journals is because I don’t like my penmanship. It’s pretty dumb, eh?)
And who knows, maybe some time down the line someone will read my chronicle and, well… I don’t know. Maybe it will open someone’s eyes one day to what it was like. After all, we are living history right now.
Related: If you’re thinking of starting a journal and want to treat yourself to a pretty new one, might I suggest one of these for sale at The Village Quire? This lovely, independent Westboro business had to close its doors temporarily and needs our support. (Thank you!)
