Blogging Day 4 Fifty Five Years of Journaling

I have been keeping a journal since 1963 and have over fifteen filled notebooks dated and with numbered pages (at least on the earlier ones).  I am not going to digitize them.  Some of the ink on the pages has faded.  What do I do with these? 

There is a book called The Gentle Art of Death Cleansing which I haven't read yet.  But I read some articles about it and she says to get rid of journals! No one wants them.  Really?  I would love to read my Mother, Grandmother or Aunt's journals. I love to read journal books like  Journal of a Solitude by May Sarton.  My friend suggests donating them to a college.  However I doubt that they'd want it.

Just like our grandparents china, jewelry and furniture isn't wanted by this generation of young people.  I've heard and read that people are having a hard time getting rid of our Grandparents and parents "stuff".  No one wants piano's anymore.  It is a different world!

These journals tell my story about having panic attacks and anxiety and not knowing what was wrong with me until I discovered I had Agoraphobia.   I wrote about what I did to try and get rid of the panic attacks.  I wrote about different methods I discovered and the various therapies I tried.

I wrote about arguments I had with my mother and more.  It was good for me to write and I'm sure it helped my mental health.  I don't feel much like keeping a journal anymore. Blogging and emails seem to satisfy me now.

But what do I do with my journals? I'm almost 82. I doubt if I'll write my memoirs.  Who would read them? Would I have time?  Do I even want to spend the energy on this?  Probably not unless I was totally alone with no distractions.

So if you read this I would be interested in ideas, suggestions.  Thanks.

After I'm Gone

I'm reading Then Again by Diane Keaton, a memoir she wrote about herself and her connection with her mother. Diane found journals her mother wrote - 85 of them. After reading the first page it made me wonder about my own journals. I have 15 filled notebooks I started in 1963 right before JFK's assassination. They are dated and most of the pages are numbered.

I also have a box of letters that Bernie and I wrote to each other before we were married in 1958. He was in the Navy and it took almost ten days before I'd get a return letter. Now that e-mails are so fast do people actually correspond? I'm glad I have these letters, but like my journals, who would want to read them? What will happen to them when I'm gone - when both of us have left this earth plane? Will my Son want to cart around all this as he moves, will they be stored in a warehouse? Who would care?

I remember when my mom died, my step father was tossing a lot of things I grabbed. Mom was a noted Amateur Radio operator who received plaques for different accomplishments.

My journals are about my life, healing fears, overcoming agoraphobia, different therapies I've been through, my growth as an astrologer, tarot card reader and much much more. I would like to write my memoirs someday but don't know where to start. Again, who would want to read it? Someone suggested I donate them to a college and I wondered why. One thing I do know is that I'd be delighted if I found journals written by my mother or my grandmother.