I have been writing in a journal on an almost-daily basis since I was 17 years old. This is a record of me going through each entry from the beginning, and commenting on the me from fifteen years ago.


I’m sick and need some sleep. I can find no other way to account for the stupidity of my thoughts. Why am I sitting around, spending my time wondering if what I’ve done is right or how things will be or how the past relates to the now & the future. There is nothing but now, everything else was or will be and is not in your control, so why insist on trying to fulfill a role that you haven’t been assigned? I know, and I mean really know – with a clear mind & good heart that I am doing quite well. Quite Fucking Well, to be exact. In fact, I’m doing well enough that I fell back in my chair to an audience and was able to laugh along with them. When I fell back & hit my head, it was funny. Now, am I going to wonder why the others were laughing? Down the line, will I speculate as to why I fell? God, I hope not. It happened and is gone now. Then why do I do so with things just as inconsequential, just emotional, not physical? The truth is, when there’s time; I think. Sometimes these thoughts carry me, but at other times, like lately, they inhibit. Or perhaps they are good as a way of letting myself know how I’m feeling. I always want the deep conversation with others, but it’s not always there. I want to blurt out a statement that will set in motion the wheels of the exploratory conversation. Alas, things aren’t always meant to be that way. In fact, I don’t always feel competent enough to engage in these forays either. My dilemma of the night: whether to be a social beast with my friends, or to stay at home and rest. I need the rest immensely. I’m going to stay home. I’ve seen the lot of them plenty of times. For some reason, I want to befriend everyone individually right now. I’m tired, but not crabby. I just don’t have a whole bunch to say in a social setting, and I’d like to be a sloth tonight. It’s nice to be a part of the action, but it’s also nice to be with yourself too. I really do love me. And I really love a lot of other people, too. All this love unspoken, just written. Life’s funny that way. Just keep on facing fears, I guess.
I did this free association writing a lot during this period. It was an exercise they recommended in some writing class I’d taken, so I tried it out. Most of the time you get gibberish like you see above, but there’s gems to be found on occasion. For example, the last line here is a great way to live. Just keep on facing your fears, and you’ll do fine.