Where Do You Store Your Filled Journals?

[MikenLamy]

This one goes out to the long time journalers. Is there anyone out there that has a ton of journals that were started from childhood to present? If so, where do you keep them? I have mine sitting inside of my desk which in my stomach, does not feel that its the best place for them. Especially when I go to work. My girlfriend respects my things, but its always in the back of my head that if they're not in front of my eyes, someone is reading them. I just want to know of other places that people keep them that makes that doesn't make them worry. Or am I the only one that has this fear? Or lord..

[UltraMagnus]

I only have one complete journal, so I may not be much help, but I keep it in a waterproof fire safe.

[AlecG]

I use a big aluminium waterproof box, with neoprene seals against the lid. Inside a lot of notebooks (I think about 35 A5-sizes 256 paged notebooks) a lot of silica gel packs to keep humidity low and some other stuff like electronics that I don't use often, but need to be kept.

http://www.zarges.com/ makes them.

These Zarges cases are ex military. http://www.legerdump.com/ld534.jpg

 

You could also use a Pelicase, but I don't have them big enough to easily store everything in.

 

Edit: new they are bloody expensive, I bought these in good condition for around €35 each. Bought 4 in one go

Edited May 2, 2011 by alecgold

[Dino Silone]

This one goes out to the long time journalers. Is there anyone out there that has a ton of journals that were started from childhood to present? If so, where do you keep them? I have mine sitting inside of my desk which in my stomach, does not feel that its the best place for them. Especially when I go to work. My girlfriend respects my things, but its always in the back of my head that if they're not in front of my eyes, someone is reading them. I just want to know of other places that people keep them that makes that doesn't make them worry. Or am I the only one that has this fear? Or lord..

You're not the only one. I used to keep my more confidential journals on the computer, in password-protected files. I switched to hand-writing them in notebooks about six months ago, and I have the same concerns. (I carry it a step further - I don't even want them found after I'm dead!)

 

I currently keep them locked up in briefcase, but I know that's a pretty lame solution. I've thought about getting a safe - they're mostly less than $100. But I don't really like that solution - it's very cumbersome. Besides, the best way to keep something secure is to not let anyone know that you're hiding it.

 

I'm considering scanning in the old ones, encrypting the files, and destroying the physical journals. To protect the files against loss of a hard drive, etc, I've been considering using cloud storage for the encrypted information.

 

If all the old journals are disposed of this way, the security problem becomes confined to the current journal. That could still be an issue. I have thought about getting away from using notebooks or bound journals, and instead using a pad or loose paper. Each entry could be scanned in immediately after creation, encrypted, and the physical copy could be destroyed.

 

I haven't done any of this yet - it does seem like a pretty big hassle. But when I think of some of that very candid material being read, it starts to seem worth it. On the other hand, I'm also considering giving up the practice of writing this stuff down altogether. I'm not sure whether this kind of journaling is something worthwhile, or more of a potentially destructive vice ...

[StyloBug33]

I have all my journals since I got married 22 years ago. I have them in rubbermaid containers in my closet. It's not a very efficient set up as the containers are relatively small and don't really fit the notebooks. I don't worry about anyone reading them, but they are starting to take up a lot of room. I really like alecgold's suggestion. Those look great.

[MikenLamy]

I sometimes think the same thing..wondering if its worthwhile to make entries, store the current one and then potentially scan it. Although scanning the journal would be more logical for storing, I could not imagine putting in the time to scan each journal page by page. Not unless its something that was done from the start. I guess all of us journal writers will always have to have our guard up. Except alecgold, ha, I love his storage idea. Thats actually not a bad idea at all..

[Dave S]

I live alone. They go on the bookshelf.

[sadiemagic]

Mine are packed away in boxes, some are in bedroom drawers.

 

I do worry about them being read by my nephews and nieces after I'm gone, though -- but the rush of memories that return when I flip through old journals is worth the worry.

 

Hopefully, they'll just toss 'em and not read 'em!

 

Claudette

[Shangas]

I seal them with wax, then I put them into a drawer of my bedside table.

[AlecG]

I seal them with wax, then I put them into a drawer of my bedside table.

 

How do you seal them, do you use a ribbon or something like that?

Don't you want to read them again sometime? or do you seal them again after reading them?

[USMCMom]

I seal them with wax, then I put them into a drawer of my bedside table.

 

How do you seal them, do you use a ribbon or something like that?

Don't you want to read them again sometime? or do you seal them again after reading them?

 

I wondered that also.

[in the flow]

MIne are on a bookshelf, and I trust that nobody currently in my home would read them. But I do want a more secure and long-term solution.

 

errr, the reason my penmanship is not as good as it could be is that I write less legibly when I don't want others to read my material (e.g. journals). This strategy runs counter to FPNer habits, I know.

[Dino Silone]

I sometimes think the same thing..wondering if its worthwhile to make entries, store the current one and then potentially scan it. Although scanning the journal would be more logical for storing, I could not imagine putting in the time to scan each journal page by page. Not unless its something that was done from the start. I guess all of us journal writers will always have to have our guard up. Except alecgold, ha, I love his storage idea. Thats actually not a bad idea at all..

I've only got one filled and one nearly filled notebook so far - as I said, I used to use the computer. If I continue to do any psychological, navel-gazing kind of journaling anymore, I've decided to go back to doing it on the computer, after this current notebook is done. I will still use my notebooks for writing practice, ideas, thoughts that I wouldn't really mind being read. But neither my girlfriend nor my kids need to ever see all the doubts and negative feelings that sometimes get into these journals. Even though these feelings have, for me, passed, they're potentially hurtful to those who might read them.

 

Sometimes I think that even writing it down is a bad idea. First of all, I think it fosters more self-absorption and inner-focus than is healthy. Really, the best way to deal with doubt and negativity is to engage the world, and not to focus so much on yourself. Secondly, it reinforces negative ideas: First you have the negative idea or feeling, then you write it down, and in the process of writing it, you refine your arguments supporting your negativity, and then you read it and experience the negativity all over again, marveling at how well you've made your case for misery. Sounds like studying for an exam, doesn't it? What better way is there to REALLY learn to be unhappy than honing your reasoning to support unhappiness, and then reading those arguments over to memorize them?

 

I think I've just convinced myself to burn the journals I have, and to give up this vice ...

[Shangas]

I seal them with wax, then I put them into a drawer of my bedside table.

 

How do you seal them, do you use a ribbon or something like that?

Don't you want to read them again sometime? or do you seal them again after reading them?

 

I wondered that also.

 

I close the books, cut a piece of paper in a long strip and fold it over the open end of the journal/diary so that the ends of the paper reaches the middle of the front and back cover.

 

Then I drip sealing-wax over it, seal it on both covers and put it away.

 

One day, maybe, a long time from now, I'll break the seals and read them. Maybe when I have kids and I can bore them with my stories...

[MikenLamy]

I live alone. They go on the bookshelf.

Well put. That's one of the pro's to living by yourself. I certainly do miss the idea of living by myself (probably more then I should), but let's face it, 2 incomes are better then 1. Especially for full time students. So for now Im always worrying about where I put them.

 

And Im not sure if everyone has their own "fp drawer" or not, but mine is always gone through like broad on Hay's Street. She can never stay out of it! She claims her misplaced items magically fall into MY shrine..

[AlecG]

 

Sometimes I think that even writing it down is a bad idea. First of all, I think it fosters more self-absorption and inner-focus than is healthy. Really, the best way to deal with doubt and negativity is to engage the world, and not to focus so much on yourself. Secondly, it reinforces negative ideas: First you have the negative idea or feeling, then you write it down, and in the process of writing it, you refine your arguments supporting your negativity, and then you read it and experience the negativity all over again, marveling at how well you've made your case for misery. Sounds like studying for an exam, doesn't it? What better way is there to REALLY learn to be unhappy than honing your reasoning to support unhappiness, and then reading those arguments over to memorize them?

 

I think I've just convinced myself to burn the journals I have, and to give up this vice ...

I'm not sure if writing journals is so bad for you. It is often used as a therapeutic treatment to come to terms with eat had happened. I know it makes it easier for me to forget the day and get to sleep easier and rest better.

[MikenLamy]

 

Sometimes I think that even writing it down is a bad idea. First of all, I think it fosters more self-absorption and inner-focus than is healthy. Really, the best way to deal with doubt and negativity is to engage the world, and not to focus so much on yourself. Secondly, it reinforces negative ideas: First you have the negative idea or feeling, then you write it down, and in the process of writing it, you refine your arguments supporting your negativity, and then you read it and experience the negativity all over again, marveling at how well you've made your case for misery. Sounds like studying for an exam, doesn't it? What better way is there to REALLY learn to be unhappy than honing your reasoning to support unhappiness, and then reading those arguments over to memorize them?

 

I think I've just convinced myself to burn the journals I have, and to give up this vice ...

I'm not sure if writing journals is so bad for you. It is often used as a therapeutic treatment to come to terms with eat had happened. I know it makes it easier for me to forget the day and get to sleep easier and rest better.

[Sonnet]

This one goes out to the long time journalers. Is there anyone out there that has a ton of journals that were started from childhood to present? If so, where do you keep them? I have mine sitting inside of my desk which in my stomach, does not feel that its the best place for them. Especially when I go to work. My girlfriend respects my things, but its always in the back of my head that if they're not in front of my eyes, someone is reading them. I just want to know of other places that people keep them that makes that doesn't make them worry. Or am I the only one that has this fear? Or lord..

You're not the only one. I used to keep my more confidential journals on the computer, in password-protected files. I switched to hand-writing them in notebooks about six months ago, and I have the same concerns. (I carry it a step further - I don't even want them found after I'm dead!)

 

I currently keep them locked up in briefcase, but I know that's a pretty lame solution. I've thought about getting a safe - they're mostly less than $100. But I don't really like that solution - it's very cumbersome. Besides, the best way to keep something secure is to not let anyone know that you're hiding it.

 

I'm considering scanning in the old ones, encrypting the files, and destroying the physical journals. To protect the files against loss of a hard drive, etc, I've been considering using cloud storage for the encrypted information.

 

If all the old journals are disposed of this way, the security problem becomes confined to the current journal. That could still be an issue. I have thought about getting away from using notebooks or bound journals, and instead using a pad or loose paper. Each entry could be scanned in immediately after creation, encrypted, and the physical copy could be destroyed.

 

I haven't done any of this yet - it does seem like a pretty big hassle. But when I think of some of that very candid material being read, it starts to seem worth it. On the other hand, I'm also considering giving up the practice of writing this stuff down altogether. I'm not sure whether this kind of journaling is something worthwhile, or more of a potentially destructive vice ...

 

But electronic storage is only as good as the machine that can read the media. For instance, even if I still had my 3.5" floppy disks from 1996, and the drives to read them, the disks themselves might have physically degraded. Or, the files might be completely incompatible with my software. And so on and so on.

[ballboy]

I think the trick is to enjoy writing for the sake of it while avoiding saying anything you're like to regret or feel embarrassed by. Sometimes it's nostalgic to read stuff I've written in diaries over 20 years ago, other times it just digs up unpalatable memories.

 

The choice lies with you and your nib...

[wallylynn]

Sometimes I think that even writing it down is a bad idea. First of all, I think it fosters more self-absorption and inner-focus than is healthy. Really, the best way to deal with doubt and negativity is to engage the world, and not to focus so much on yourself.

 

Why do you only write down the negative thoughts? Why no happy thoughts?

 

What better way is there to REALLY learn to be unhappy than honing your reasoning to support unhappiness, and then reading those arguments over to memorize them?

You'll have to practice and learn to identify when you're reasoning vs. rationalizing. I just learned a marvelous quote:

"We may think we're being scientists, but we're actually being lawyers."

--University of Virginia psychologist Jonathan Haidt

 

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/03/denial-science-chris-mooney

 

Anyway, I just keep my journals on the shelf for now.