Journals

After seeing my basket of journals that I was going to take a picture of for my blog, sb suggested, “Why don’t you write about journaling?”  I have kept a journal for 30 years now!  I usually use “empty books” as the first ones were gifts to me in the early 70’s.  I started my first journal in high school, but I was much too self-conscience to write much so I mostly drew 70’s-type pictures and sayings.

I picked up journal writing again in 1976.  I had just finished working at a ski area for the winter ski season and was unemployed and without a plan.  A fellow ski bum and I decided to hop a freight to the west coast.  I packed all my worldly belongings into my backpack and threw in a new blank book.  We gathered cardboard to put on the floor of the train car so as not to get too dirty.  We also had a bicycle with us as my traveling partner was going to a cycling leadership training.  The railroad yard bulls were actually helpful – told us when the freight train to the west coast was coming, which car number would be good.  So we waited and until about 2 a.m. when we loaded ourselves and our gear onto a freight train and off into the unknown.

Click image to see bigger

First entry, May 3, 1976

Boarded the 197 last night about 2:30 a.m. on car 318131.  It was really a bumpy car!  It got to swaying so bad at times that I had to hold my stomach because of the sideaches and for fear my kidneys were going to bounce out!  Woke up this morning somewhere outside Spokane with voices and faces peering into our car, “They’ve got a bike in there!”  We poked our heads out of our sleeping bags and tried to figure out what was going on.  The train had dropped off some cars – including the one we were on.  We barely had enough time to get on another train.

This one seems more stable – again we were shown the way by the helpful yard bulls.  This is really a fantastic way to travel.  You have room to move around, plenty of openness to see the country.  You can sleep whenever you want, eat, etc.  Also you’re able to see America in a different way – like all the hobos we saw this morning.  It’s farout to see that that culture is still around.

So that was the beginning of a life changing adventure and the beginning of journal writing for the next 30 years.  My journals are combination of daily writings, drawings, poems, addresses, to do lists, historical recordings, newspaper clippings, pressed flowers, quotes, photos, etc – anything and everything that records the moment.

Comments

[kat]

very cool!! what great images. thank you for sharing!!

[Blue Dog]

That is so very cool! I love these photos of your journals..especially the one in the upper left hand corner and the lower right hand corner--they're extremely inviting, not to mention INTERESTING! Thanks for posting this :)