A way with words

It's funny, yet sad, that I don't write more about things on my mind. I kept a journal for years -- I started it in 8th grade and then continued through high school, college and for a short time after that. Then social networking came around, and while blogging took over my typical journals, it just wasn't the same. My former "deep" thoughts went away.

While some of this can be attributed to my happiness in life, I'm sort of mad at myself that I stopped writing so much about my feelings. I think the endless quest toward happiness kept me going and once that happened, I didn't feel compelled to write anymore. But that's kind of stupid, isn't it? Yes I'm happy, but I still have things in this brain of mine to get out.

When it comes to certain parts of my life, I'm covered. I love to run, so I have a running blog. I love taking photos, so I have a not-so-regular photo blog. And the thing I'm most happy about -- being a father -- is covered by a blog documenting his life. This blog was supposed to fill in the holes -- at certain points it has. I was very, very unhappy in my last job, so I expressed that on here -- sort of. But a blog is not a journal, not in the way journals were meant to be. I just wonder if I'll ever have the chance again to sit down with a notebook and a pen and just write.

An old girlfriend of mine told me several years ago that I had "a way with words." That stuck with me many years ago and I've never forgotten that. I have some classic love letters and breakup letters out there somewhere, but I never kept any copies. I kind of regret that.

It's funny that a simple piece of paper with words on it can change lives so much. Yet in an instant we can rip that paper to shreds or burn it, and it's gone forever. It's magical in a way. Blogs have changed all that -- sometimes that can be good, sometimes it's not. What's written here will always exist in some form. But what I wrote as a teen can just fade into a memory. My journals detailing half my life to date could be gone in a fire and I'd never get them back. Take your pick on which one you prefer.