Friday, August 19, 2011

Bon Fire

I heard once that if you want to get over a girl, put her in literature. Man, that sounds like something I'd do. Turns out, I have.
I was doing some cleaning the other day (gasp) and came across a box. Inside this box there was another box. And inside that box was a shoe box. It was this box that had some unusual contents: photographs and school pictures going back to grade school, along with notes and letters from old girlfriends. There were a lot of things that i found to be very strange about this as I was sifting through it. First off, how in the heck has this survived all the movings and cleanings prior to this? Why did I keep them in the first place? What do I do with them now? I admit that I am a bit of a sentimental guy, but I'm throwing them out. One note was from the 4th grade! It was strange that there were some notes and letters in there that i never gave. It's about the closest thing I'll get to having a time machine and going back to see myself in jr high/high school.. Man i was a dork (was?). You can probably attest.
Fast forward to "college-Andy". College-Andy has started journaling. He journals dreams he's had and dreams he wants to have. He journals about events that are significant to him, as well as insignificant things he hopes turn out to be significant. There's not a lot of talk about any particular woman or women, but there are frequent references to the woman he's yet to meet. The woman he is hoping to meet one day. The Woman. It's very sweet. I like this guy. If I could only talk to that guy...
While I was married, I journaled less because I had this blog. That was my media for my life at that time. Mostly light hearted, fun stuff. But for the last 2 years I've blogged less and journaled more. The content of my journals now? Spiritual stuff and chick stuff. I have two full books filled up from my divorce alone. The guy who wrote those was angry. Like he'd been stabbed in the heart 39 times and the wound got infected. I don't like that guy. That guy needs to meet College Andy and hang out with him for awhile.
I'm ready to be New Andy.
Writing and journaling have helped me out a lot over the years. It's been therapy at times and may have helped me not explode once or twice. It's also kind of fun to see the commentary I had over the high's and low's over the last 20 years. I am a total dork, and destined to forever be. What I'm wondering is - what do I do with all of it? My life literature is significant only to me and it's beginning to take up some space. I'm fairly sure I don't want others to read it, but if you have any good ideas what to do with it I'm game.

3 comments:

Just Me said...

Burry them and make a map of where you buried them, Indiana Jones style. When your dead and gone your family will enjoy an Andy adventure and then discover what you REALLY thought!!

Amber Lemiere said...

I'm actually in agreement with the idea above :) can I have the map?!?! Teasing. I like this blog Andy- I mean New Andy. You are a fun guy. I notice that when I'm busy living the most wonderful memories I don't have time to write anymore... hopefully you'll start having that happen to you. No time to write- too busy doing things that would be fun to write about.

Alicia Schwab said...

I too have had boxes like that. they tended to be theme for specific people. I'll leave it at that. When I have run across them I sift through all of it....laugh at myself and head straight for the the fire place and burn it one piece at a time. My journals however I can't seem to burn no matter how many times I read them again and cringe at what a dork I was I can't seem to do it. I surely don't what anyone reading them so I will at some point burn them too.