CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS
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JOURNALING—TRY IT. YOU MIGHT ENJOY IT.
On August 7, the Rev. Manasseh Cutler was traveling from Ipswhich, Massachusetts, to the Muskingum River in the Northwest Territory, Ohio. His travels began on July 19.
…we took the Glade road to the left…(from Bedford, a shire-town)…We then began to ascend the Allegheny Mountains; our ascent pretty steep; very anxious…We passed an old empty cabin, where we found fine feed in the road, clover mid-leg high, and here we baited our horses for some time. We then began to ascend the Allegheny Mountains; our ascent pretty steep; very anxious…Before we began to descend the Allegheny Mountains, we came into the wagon road, which relieved our fears. We baited our horses for a few minutes at the first house, a Dutch cabin. The descent of the Alleghany Mountains is not steep, but the road is new and bad. We went on to Black’s, in the Glades, twenty-three miles from our last stage, where we breakfasted, without eating or drinking anything bur water by the way, and arrived about sunset. A fine, cool day. From this place, the waters run west. The Allegheny Mountains is the line between the east and west waters…Friday, Aug. 8…This is a pretty good house for this country, a good plantation, and prices reasonable. Went on just after sunrise…Our next stage at Coldpenny’s tavern, about nine and a half miles…Road passable and breakfast tolerable good. A prodigious number of pack-horses at this stage.
Went on six miles to Laurel Mountain. The ascent not steep; moderately good over the mountain to the descent, except muddy and wet; but the descent is very steep; the road tolerable after we got to the bottom. It is ten miles over this mountain. A poor French house six miles on, but nothing to be had; and at the foot west is a poor house—not much to be had. Went on three miles to Anfret’s, a Dutch house, on Chestnut Ridge, where we lodged…here we dined and supped in the same meal; a good keeping for horses and passable for ourselves. Traveled to-day twenty-eight miles. (total 571)
Saturday, Aug. 9. Did not set out very early. Went on to Mount Pleasant township, seven miles, and breakfasted at Kneely’s tavern, a good house. From this, we proceeded to Sumrell’s Ferry, thirteen miles…Four miles short of the ferry, I stopped to see Jarvis…Jarvis was gone to Hannah’s Town…We crossed Youghiogheny River just before we came to Sumrell’s…year 1788.***
This long introduction about Southwestern Pennsylvania was written in 1788. I chose it because it relates a road trip over Laurel Mountain. I suspect the route Rev. Cutler traveled was today’s Route 31—thus, he didn’t pass by the Laurel Mountain foothill where I live—Route 30. If I am correct, he would have traveled quite near Chuck and Sal Martin’s home. Sal, a member of the Beanery Writers Group, writes local history.
Rev. Cutler couldn’t suspect that 222 years after he wrote his journal a writer would be using it as a reference for a historic romance novel and historic journal article. That’s his legacy to me.
A journal becomes a gift, a legacy for those who follow in your footsteps. Many persons keep their journals private, intending them to be read only after their passing. The movie Bridges Over Madison County is an example of this.
Journaling records your life and times. It can record business, personal and/or financial information. Rev. Cutler’s journal relates the dynamics of the Scioto (Ohio) Land Grant (a sub-grant of the Ohio Company Grant of 1787) and is a scrapbook of his memories.
I recall discovering a limited journal I kept in high school. What fun it was to share this information with my friend Pat forty years later! I wish I had done more journaling.
I not only have a cluttered house, I have a cluttered mind—especially severe due to a poor memory. This clutter is stressful. When I record my thoughts and experiences, even just jotting them down on placemats and scraps of paper, I can let them go. This is helpful in recording vacation experiences, too.*
Periodically I take my pile of notes and type them into the computer. This works as I travel, too—it contributes to posts on my personal writing blog, which I use as one journaling method. Of course, I also have “private pages,” which don’t go public. The combination helps me cut the tornadoes of thoughts whipping around my mind, and it helps me gain clarity in my experiences. I lessen my stress and become empowered as I determine which experiences go public and which are private.
Sometimes I face difficulties. Problem solving becomes easier by writing them down and working through the problem solving stages I teach when I counsel others.
When faced with hard decisions, writing helps sort out options, giving me fresh ideas and perspectives. The result might only be that I accept the difficult times … or I could discover a whole new aspect to the situation.
Finally, but not comprehensively, since I’m writing this post to present to a writer’s group: journaling has major benefits for writers—it creates the habit of writing, produces ideas, and helps clarify writing situations.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A friend, Fran, told me one way she journals. She takes one day a week, say Monday, and records what she is doing on the hour each hour that day. She repeats this exercise on Tuesday the next week, Wednesday the following week…you get the idea. Only one day a week!** I’ve tried it several times and find it challenging, but rewarding and revealing. It brings time into perspective—it shows me what I am really accomplishing—or not accomplishing.
I challenge each of you to try this for seven weeks…let me know the results in the comment box or through email—beanerywriters at yahoo.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
ADDITIONAL READING:
*Coffee Hour at “Echoes on the Lake”
**IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE!!
A Day in My Life: July 2, 2010 Journal
Eavesdropping—the good and the bad of it
THE WRITING LIFE: There’s a World Out There?
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Journaling—Try It. You Might Enjoy It.
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CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS
Subscribe today!
TO RECEIVE E-MAIL NOTIFICATION
OF NEW POSTS ON CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS
(to subscribe see upper right hand post on this site—
Notification will begin after you confirm your subscription
in the e-mail you will receive from wordpress.com )
JOURNALING—TRY IT. YOU MIGHT ENJOY IT.
On August 7, the Rev. Manasseh Cutler was traveling from Ipswhich, Massachusetts, to the Muskingum River in the Northwest Territory, Ohio. His travels began on July 19.
…we took the Glade road to the left…(from Bedford, a shire-town)…We then began to ascend the Allegheny Mountains; our ascent pretty steep; very anxious…We passed an old empty cabin, where we found fine feed in the road, clover mid-leg high, and here we baited our horses for some time. We then began to ascend the Allegheny Mountains; our ascent pretty steep; very anxious…Before we began to descend the Allegheny Mountains, we came into the wagon road, which relieved our fears. We baited our horses for a few minutes at the first house, a Dutch cabin. The descent of the Alleghany Mountains is not steep, but the road is new and bad. We went on to Black’s, in the Glades, twenty-three miles from our last stage, where we breakfasted, without eating or drinking anything bur water by the way, and arrived about sunset. A fine, cool day. From this place, the waters run west. The Allegheny Mountains is the line between the east and west waters…Friday, Aug. 8…This is a pretty good house for this country, a good plantation, and prices reasonable. Went on just after sunrise…Our next stage at Coldpenny’s tavern, about nine and a half miles…Road passable and breakfast tolerable good. A prodigious number of pack-horses at this stage.
Went on six miles to Laurel Mountain. The ascent not steep; moderately good over the mountain to the descent, except muddy and wet; but the descent is very steep; the road tolerable after we got to the bottom. It is ten miles over this mountain. A poor French house six miles on, but nothing to be had; and at the foot west is a poor house—not much to be had. Went on three miles to Anfret’s, a Dutch house, on Chestnut Ridge, where we lodged…here we dined and supped in the same meal; a good keeping for horses and passable for ourselves. Traveled to-day twenty-eight miles. (total 571)
Saturday, Aug. 9. Did not set out very early. Went on to Mount Pleasant township, seven miles, and breakfasted at Kneely’s tavern, a good house. From this, we proceeded to Sumrell’s Ferry, thirteen miles…Four miles short of the ferry, I stopped to see Jarvis…Jarvis was gone to Hannah’s Town…We crossed Youghiogheny River just before we came to Sumrell’s…year 1788.***
This long introduction about Southwestern Pennsylvania was written in 1788. I chose it because it relates a road trip over Laurel Mountain. I suspect the route Rev. Cutler traveled was today’s Route 31—thus, he didn’t pass by the Laurel Mountain foothill where I live—Route 30. If I am correct, he would have traveled quite near Chuck and Sal Martin’s home. Sal, a member of the Beanery Writers Group, writes local history.
Rev. Cutler couldn’t suspect that 222 years after he wrote his journal a writer would be using it as a reference for a historic romance novel and historic journal article. That’s his legacy to me.
A journal becomes a gift, a legacy for those who follow in your footsteps. Many persons keep their journals private, intending them to be read only after their passing. The movie Bridges Over Madison County is an example of this.
Journaling records your life and times. It can record business, personal and/or financial information. Rev. Cutler’s journal relates the dynamics of the Scioto (Ohio) Land Grant (a sub-grant of the Ohio Company Grant of 1787) and is a scrapbook of his memories.
I recall discovering a limited journal I kept in high school. What fun it was to share this information with my friend Pat forty years later! I wish I had done more journaling.
I not only have a cluttered house, I have a cluttered mind—especially severe due to a poor memory. This clutter is stressful. When I record my thoughts and experiences, even just jotting them down on placemats and scraps of paper, I can let them go. This is helpful in recording vacation experiences, too.*
Periodically I take my pile of notes and type them into the computer. This works as I travel, too—it contributes to posts on my personal writing blog, which I use as one journaling method. Of course, I also have “private pages,” which don’t go public. The combination helps me cut the tornadoes of thoughts whipping around my mind, and it helps me gain clarity in my experiences. I lessen my stress and become empowered as I determine which experiences go public and which are private.
Sometimes I face difficulties. Problem solving becomes easier by writing them down and working through the problem solving stages I teach when I counsel others.
When faced with hard decisions, writing helps sort out options, giving me fresh ideas and perspectives. The result might only be that I accept the difficult times … or I could discover a whole new aspect to the situation.
Finally, but not comprehensively, since I’m writing this post to present to a writer’s group: journaling has major benefits for writers—it creates the habit of writing, produces ideas, and helps clarify writing situations.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A friend, Fran, told me one way she journals. She takes one day a week, say Monday, and records what she is doing on the hour each hour that day. She repeats this exercise on Tuesday the next week, Wednesday the following week…you get the idea. Only one day a week!** I’ve tried it several times and find it challenging, but rewarding and revealing. It brings time into perspective—it shows me what I am really accomplishing—or not accomplishing.
I challenge each of you to try this for seven weeks…let me know the results in the comment box or through email—beanerywriters at yahoo.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
ADDITIONAL READING:
*Coffee Hour at “Echoes on the Lake”
**IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE!!
A Day in My Life: July 2, 2010 Journal
Eavesdropping—the good and the bad of it
THE WRITING LIFE: There’s a World Out There?
Like this: