(Photo by Susan Weber on Unsplash)
The photo/video highlights reels that Google Photos pulls up sometimes showing you what you were doing "on this day" however many years ago can be a fun reminder of previous good memories. It can also dredge up some painful ones depending on what you associate those photos with.
A parallel to that concept except in words, I started keeping a daily journal which has five entries for each date to cover five years so it's like a longitudinal study for your own life. In looking back, there were definitely some years that I was not as good about journaling as other years, and there's always a bit of nostalgia when I read pre- and post-COVID entries.
Why bother, one might ask? I guess the mundane tends to pass us by and doesn't always seem worth recording, but life is made up mostly of the mundane, and it can be helpful to reflect on where you were, who you were with, and what you were doing even a year ago and hopefully to see what you've learned or how you've changed over the years. It's also a good way to process your thoughts when your mind seems cluttered or even just to cultivate the discipline of writing every day.
Here are the unedited entries that I wrote on this date between 2018 to now (2022), except for 2020 -- blame COVID-19 for the gap.
2018: Went to Bo's class for Street Jazz -- challenging but fun. Need to work on popping!
2019: Had a team breakfast for Anna's birthday. Another busy workday. Went to Toby's for dinner after work and met his dog DiDi! Second GOSRversary.
2020: [blank]
2021: We rode bikes to Williamsburg and had brunch at 12 Chairs. Then we met Christian and Cheez-it at Domino Park. We got pizza and Levain cookies for dinner.
2022: Went to Mosaic Church. Two missionaries from North Africa spoke. It seemed like a nice church, but not a home for me. Too white and heteronormative feeling. Afterwards, hung out by Green Lake and cycled around!
What have I learned between 2018 and 2022? Well, I'm still not good at street jazz or popping, but I do miss dancing. I changed jobs and am much happier in my new work environment. I changed cities and churches and feel more at home in my own skin so that feels like some progress.
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