Response to “On Keeping a Notebook” by Joan Didion
Keeping a journal is a necessity or even a habit for some people and it is not solely for the purpose of recording events, contrary to popular belief. It is more often used to record how one feels and experiences things, regardless of whether these experiences are true or not. This concept of manipulation of memory reminds of a movie that I recently watched called “Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind”. I found the representation of memory very interesting in that movie. It was as if each event was not related to each other but at the same time formed a cohesive narrative. These depictions were almost like keeping a mental journal where the events were written as Joel (the protagonist played by Jim Carrey) perceived them and not necessarily as they truly were. It depicts memories as an alternate universe, almost like a kaleidoscope. It presents the fact that the mind devoid of any memories of events can give a sensation of bliss and comfort.
But at the same time, author Joan Didion states that we often “forget all too soon the things we thought we could never forget.” After all a journal is supposed to be about other people or places and rather about how we felt about those people and those places. It is important to look and remember what kind of a person we were back then and how that has affected us in the present. I feel like it is always interesting to go back and read a journal, only to discover things that you have long forgotten. And sometimes it’s good to stop and remind yourself that you are an interesting person who perceives reality differently than others.
