Documentation.

I was always one of those kids who was relatively self aware. I could see the writing on the wall. Plus, I was around adults enough to catch phrases and ideas on how they knew so much more than they did years before. About some things. So even at a young middle-schoolish age, I realized on some level that the cares that I thought about, those that I worried about, and those that completely consumed me, would be things that I'd look back on and be completely mortified about.

That's why I never journaled. Ever.

As much as I loved to write about the fictional pretend, I would never write about the real. It was too mundane. And self-involved. And silly. Because even as I was experiencing the 1984 present, I knew that as real, and exciting, and painful, and wonderful as things were to me at the time, they'd be painful to read later.

But I was wrong.

Now I wish I had the accounts. Because as silly as they may seem, they are my memories. Only they aren't, because I've forgotten them.

So that is another reason I'm thrilled to have this practice in my life. This practice of journaling. And even as I'm typing this and wondering why I spend the time doing it in a public space, the answer occurs to me. It's obvious.

Because it's the only way I'll do it.

I'm one of those people that needs a workout partner, or a trainer, or a scheduled class. For accountability. Because I won't just do it on my own. I have to have a system or a pal or a class I've already paid for to get the job done or the work out.

It's the same with getting the words out. Or the photos.

The most excellent thing about this medium though is that others do it too. So I can know what my dear friends are doing. To see their daughters grow. What they're doing for others. What they're doing in the middle of the night. To know their driving habits. Know if George Clooney is in their neighborhood. Hear that Barack Obama is stalking them. Whatever. I can keep up with the documentation of their lives. And I can even keep up with mine through theirs.

Like last Friday. Without Karen's post and the above stolen photo, a few years from now, I might forget that when we met for some seriously fantastic shrimp with candied walnuts (tossed in a creamy lemon sauce with honeydew melon) on Friday, we were both wearing the same Earth Superhero Necklace. She has several because she's a model. I have one because I won it last month on OMSH after helping rename her mom's fantastic company. See I might have forgotten that. And I for sure would have forgotten, as we laughed and potentially scared our waiter who was meandering through his first day, that we sat next to a very elderly man and his hooker. For reals y'all. And that we saw and talked to another woman wearing a Superhero necklace, who is a reported "huge" scrapbooker. And that we drooled over the autumnal clothes in the window next door. I would have forgotten.

Then Saturday, the Hurricane discovered the joys of the "overblown" giant jump-a-thon birthday party.And there's Jenny documentation to prove it. Also, the fearless Min has inspired Harry to be a Pirate. For Halloween. But also for a living. So now we'll always remember the origin of that decision.

And then, well the whole weekend was documented by a variety of people.

But most importantly, I'll archive right here that the infamous Super Zoe called me very early on Saturday morning with news. She's officially off the market people. She is engaged. And Law Boy is one lucky dude. Although based on his comments, it seems he already knows it. It's documented.