Taking the time to write in our lives gives us the time of our lives. As we describe our environments, we begin to savor them. Even the most rushed and pell-mell life begins to take on the patina of being cherished.

My motivations here are simple.

In 2023, I'm trying to write more emotionally vulnerable and sensory-rich stories from my life. (From last year: What Getting Sued, Scammed, and Arrested Taught Me About Resilience). In a world where seemingly intelligent advice and nonfiction abounds, the power is in the personal. In addition, expressive and personal

First, as Saroyan mentions, a journal helps jog our memories of past events, the places and people we have known. Second, a journal encourages regular appointments with the desk and provides an orderly place to store the chaotic pieces of our lives. Third, journal keeping prompts us to notice the extraordinary detail in even the most ordinary day.