I am a lover of paper and pen, but when I was assigned to keep a journal of my spiritual journey throughout a spritiual deepening class I just began, I wasn't sure how I wanted to do that. Do I mix those thoughts and experiences in my normal daily journal as it's a part of what is going on in my life? Do I start a special journal and use a special pen and ink color -- which appeals to me, as it's appropriately ceremonious and centering to do so? Or should I keep it on computer, which might be a little limiting compared to a small notebook I can take to anyplace I want and in which I could draw or write in any direction, but which could make it easier to pull excerpts for the required 5-page paper due each month?

Practicality has won out.

I collect pens, and fine papers, and love the tactile sense of the ink on the page. I've written in journals consistantly since I was about 10. It's the only posession I would try to save in a fire... though there are about 400 of them at this point. Yes, I have them all, lost only 2 that I can remember, and at the time it was horrible to imagine my private thoughts being read by someone else's eyes. If I were long gone, then I imagined it would be cool, but not UNTIL then. Precicely why I was hesitant to do something online.

On the one hand, no one reads these things anyway... there are so many of them, I'd be shocked if I got any comments. On the other hand, I may end up needing to share what I am doing here, if not with some of my long-distance study partners, then in what this study leads me to do out in the world. And since the topic is spiritual, and I've seen proof time and time again of synchronistic things happening when the door is open, there might be someone out there who's meant to come across the blog... I like that idea hanging in the air, like there might be a Santa Claus after all. So, the decision is made.

Something's leading me to take the plunge though the content of this journal will be more personal than most subjects. Doing this where the public just possibly could see feels a little like I'm having sex near a window. I'm going to make every effort to NOT edit myself because of that, which will be tempting. I'm not necessarily going to be profound; the content could be totally boring to others. But, I will be honest, and I've found, whatever the topic, when people are honest it's rarely a bore.