Happy 2012

My new years resolution? On day 2 of 2012 I want to begin blogging again. We all know what happens with most resolutions, but at least I'm trying.

Something occurred to me that I would like to share. Why it occurred to me only now, five years after reading what I'm about to write, I have no idea.

I was in California for a visit with my Cousin. Her mother, my Aunt, kept a daily diary. Her entire life was written in many books. I'd begun reading about her life on previous visits in 2004 and 2005. In 2006 I spent most of my week there reading to the end.

They were SO interesting! Short, concise, but never missing a day. Here is the interesting thing, for me anyhow.

When I had, oh, say completed 80%, it occurred to me, and I spoke aloud my thoughts to my Cousin, that my Aunt never once wrote about feelings. Not about emotions regarding her marriage, her children, not as far as feelings went.

Unlike this generation, and I, who shares just about everything, these diary's were totally absorbing without interjection of personal emotions. Yet, when I realized this, I was astonished (probably too strong a word) to realize her diary's were more interesting than most 'typical' diaries.

What did her diaries contain? She'd write about mundane things that happened each day. Going to the grocery store, which restaurant they were eating at, getting gas in the car, a vacation, having new carpet laid.

The difference was that without her knowing, and without my realizing for so long, is that my Aunt would list the hour things occurred, dollar amounts, etc. Not to brag or anything but simply to say, for example, "filled the car with gasoline today. Gas was up to 15 cents a gallon". She would put the cost of the food she purchased, the movies they went too and the price paid for tickets. The amount appliances cost, labor to install things.

When she would write about seeing others, i.e. her daughter and grandson, my parents, me, company from other states, it was simple, direct. She didn't evoke emotion, but stated so and so was coming or she saw so and so that day. Where they'd go and what they'd do.

What was so profound to me was the fact, as said above, that it didn't even occur to me until almost the end, that my Aunts diary didn't shed light on her innermost thoughts, feelings, emotions. I didn't learn anything about my Aunt that I hadn't heard from others. Yet, again as stated above, her diaries were more entertaining and thought provoking than all the 'all about me' books and diaries the rest of us write about.

I wish I could say I'll do that. But that isn't me. However, what I would like to do is not focus so much on my feelings, though they will be written, but also to jot down the 'little things'. How much did I pay for my gas today? What was a loaf of bread? How much snow we received. You get the point.

Now to begin...............