A blank page has always inspired me. I remember as a young girl, receiving a new diary with a key and a lock. I remember the feeling of anticipation and hope. It was as if someone gave me the power of my own destiny. And metaphorically speaking, we each are given that. I feel a little sad that we have gone so electronic and our world has become so “techie” because I still feel that there is something special about opening up an empty book filled with blank pages and writing about our aspirations there. I guess you could do that with the blank page on a Word Document on a computer and even make a file and title it “My Diary” or “My Journal” but there is still just something about seeing your own handwriting and how it changes as your life does.
I have found journals from my past and it has been a gift to go back and read where I once was. And hopefully to see how far I have come. When my grandma died, the only thing that I wanted was her diary. It was this green little leather bound five year kind, that she kept when she was 16 through meeting my grandpa and ending with having my mom!
One of my standard gifts has always been empty books. Especially to young people. I’ve told my kids that their lives are like empty books and every day they write a new page. It is up to them how their stories turn out. We are the authors of our stories. And I’ve encouraged those in their twenties that seem to be stuck, to go out and WRITE their stories. I can name three off of the top of my head that had their cosmetology licenses or a degree and stayed stuck making minimum wage because they were comfortable where they were. I nagged them to take that last exam that would give them wings to fly from the nest. And watching them soar, made me think…
I finally had to admit that I’ve kind of been stuck myself, thinking that it was too late for me. Feeling very comfortable in how well I knew my job, I didn’t want to have to go out and re-learn something. Heck, I don’t even like to read instructions or have to learn a new game. Talk about being stuck. I felt that my pages had all been written on. And that I was too old to begin again. And I was feeling very beaten down as I battled the storm. Finally realizing that I was NOT alone! God and me had this one!
Though the wind hadn’t just gone out of my sail, it had been SUCKED out! I began to realize that I could make my own wind! I was the author of my story and it was NOT over! And so with a lot of prayer, I forged the storm and moved on!
I kind of feel as if I have begun writing in a new empty book as I begin my new job. I am the author. The job has been created just for me! It is a new venture for my company and I am pretty sure that everyone is rooting for me. I love my team and the people I work with. And I intend to write a BEST SELLER! How about you? I’d love to hear about your “COME BACK” stories!
Happy NEW Year Everyone! Happy NEW story, happy new life! God bless you all!
The One Thing I know For Sure 
Great post. Your attitude to the blank page is infectious.
This post came at a time when I have spent the last week hunting for the ‘perfect’ journal. I have become obsessed!. I love writing my ideas / journal / lists out long-hand before I type things up. I have become ultra-particular about the size of the book, the quality of the paper, the thickness of the paper, the heaviness of the lines, the space between the lines, whether the pages have a space for a date, whether the pages are numbered etc. Luckily there are few brands that cater to obsessives like me and have a whole range to choose from including ones with blank pages, and pages with squares or dots rather than lines. 🙂
The thing is… whether it is just you reading it years from now, or someone finds it… It will have your special words, with your special thickness of paper, the perfect spaces of the lines etc… and “someone” will appreciate the effort.
I know that I wish my grandma wrote a little more legible. LOL.
So glad you liked this one! Always love hearing from ya!
xoxo
We are two peas in a pod Di. As I’ve shared before. I write on blank pages. I don’t feel creative at a computer. I write longhand and revise as I enter my blogs or my manuscript. And no, you are never too old! 🙂 xo
We ARE! Two peas in a pod, that is. I remember you telling me you write your books by hand and then transcribe them! 😊
Lol, dinosaurs. Old dogs don’t like new tricks. 🙂
Last year I set myself a challenge of facing a real blank 4 by 4 every morning . I can not believe how many novellas I have written . This year is every morning I write a chapter of a book …then later in the day I read it . I m having so much fun …but I want a little more than that I want to get something published .
I have recently moved to a new area and looking for new work . I did try something but It just wasn’t for me …this time I want to do something that makes me happy …it may take a while but while I am waiting I’m having great fun writing . Great piece of writing from you really enjoyed it .
Cherryx
Chel, you are smart to know what you want! I wanted ten years! NEVER again!
I can relate so much to this post! I too, loved handwriting (and still do) – as much as I love how computers can help us, we have lost something special when we got rid of letters, and most of the need for handwriting. Paper and journals had a similar sentiment to me – do you think it’s a writer thing? I’m not a professional writer, but I think that if it is in our heart to do it, we are drawn to all kinds of personal and creative writing ourselves. I have every journal I kept from 1997 (17 years) through to now (they got a bit higgledy piggledy after the first 7 years or so – I am not as disciplined in finishing one book before I start another!). They are a such an encouragement and good teacher as I look back through them, but I often wonder what to do with them!
I agree with Jean – those old poems are a part of the process of us finding our feet as writers. I have some cringeworthy poems as well – I should share a few with you, just to encourage you lol!
Merryn,
I do think it is a writer thing! But I also appreciate computers! In the sixties, my daddy took me to the top floor of his building that was filled with disk drives and made me Snoopy Calendars for me to take to all my friends at school. And he told me that “Someday, all of these that made this one computer that worked on that one printer making my calendars that day, would sit on one desk, and that “maybe even in your lifetime, they will fit in the palm of your hand!” I sure wish that he could see his prediction came to pass. And now as I text this on my phone and type on my laptop, I guess that long hand and computers are pretty cool, each in their own ways! 😉
xoxo
I’m glad for the way computers connect us to people. That’s so sweet of your dad to make the Snoopy calendars! You must miss him a lot. He had incredible creativity to imagine the computers we would use today!
I do miss him! He was my hero. He was a VP at Mattel and then worked as a VP at a computer company called CSC for years. I remember him sending me to SHOW and TELL with a little computer chip and having me tell the kids… “Somedaaaay this will take the place of the computer brain that fills a whole building’s floor!” lol.
By the way, I just read your post today. So sad! I am so sorry. Sometimes it is those little quick friendships you make that touch you the most. Knowing someone and then knowing you will never see them again. You are right though, it is all about knowing Jesus. Sometimes we have so little time to touch someone’s life. I pray for her family. And for you. Your message was right on today. Thank you for sharing. I am glad we have met!
xoxo
Thanks for your beautiful comments. I will write more in reply later but just wanted you to know how much they mean to me xo
Sounds like you have some really fond memories of your dad. It’s great that you had such a strong connection to him. Despite our ups and downs, I look up to my dad in a huge way too. It really touched me when he wrote on my 30th birthday autograph page that his life was richer because of me and that he was proud of me. Thanks for your beautiful thoughts you wrote in response to my post “Shellshocked”. I will reply there as well :).
I’m reminded that blank pages represent different things to different people. I was heavily into fine art drawing as a teen so a new drawing tablet was a treasure to behold. As I grew older I liked the spiral bound variety that flip the used pages over the top. I could keep my drawing better and wasn’t tempted to tear them out to get to the next blank page.
Then came my life’s passion, photography. The world became my canvas and I could capture in and put it on a blank page turned into a finished photograph. I love computer software that lets me turn the pages on the screen of a big monitor, arranging the photos into a story that lets me write about the photo safari taken to get those pictures. Blank pages are a sign of exciting times to come.
Bob,
Heres to a thousand +++++ more blank pages for ya my friend!
xoxo
di
Hi Diane, that journal sounds very familiar. 😉 I agree whole-heartedly with you and I’ve been a bit ‘stuck’ in routine too. Good luck with your new adventure!
Thank you gg!
I will pray for you to get unstuck as well! I never knew how STUCK I was until I took the leap! Don’t wait too long! Remember, for me…10 years didn’t start out as TEN years!
😉
If I can help anyone avoid the decade I have survived, I will continue nagging! Funny thing was, I nagged everyone else to move on, but I didn’t look at my own life having any possibilities!
Thanks for reading!
xoxo
A new story! This sounds so appealing to me. I am so glad you wrote this post about starting something new. You are so inspiring!
Hugs and Blessings,
Theresa
Happy New Year Theresa! Thank you! Is this new pic of you?
Yes, it is. I had another birthday back in December. My husband and I were spending a quiet New Years Eve and I decided to plug in the old hot rollers, doll myself up and take some pictures. I have this new laptop with these neat options where you can make your picture in color or black and white. 🙂
Wow! Great pics! I thought that it was one of your daughter! You look sooo young! Someone told me that I was hot on my facebook page and I had to tell them that the pic I had up as my profile pic was a few decades old! LOL. Yours are only a few weeks old! 😉
Hey I changed my last sentence here because you inspired me to do so!
xoxo
di
Perfect post to start off the new year, Diane – love the illustrations!
Thanks Marian! Praying your start is blessed💖 and the rest keeps getting even better!
Great post and so true, the beauty of our writings is the blank page showing our creativity of our words. Happy new year to you as well and may the creativity never end.
Thank you! YOU always have a way with words that inspires the socks right off of me!
Happy New Year, may this be your best year yet!
xoxo
Thank you and may this year be your best also.
Magnificent post! In fact, I thought I was reading MY story for a minute there – but then I realized that I’m still in the “stuck” position! You truly inspire me. It is so important to use our blog posts to be transparent and honest in helping others to forge their way as we forge our own. Thanks!
Tina,
Here’s praying that you start forging!
I can’t believe that when I look back, I realize that I am ten years older than I was ten years ago, when I was TEN years younger!!
Don’t stay stuck my friend! It is so scary to jump. But the water ends up being nice in the end! 😉
May this new year be the one you have waited for!
xoxo
😉
I’ve alway enjoyed writing but I never felt that the thingd I needed to write would be “safe” anywhere. So, it wasn’t until I discovered the blogosphere that I began writing my story (literally). Even then, I was afraid that all of the things I wrote about would be diminished by those who read them so I wrote anonymously for long time, at first. Until, I learned that no matter what others see in the things I write, it is still my story and nothing that anyone does or days can take that away from me. I am surr writing in a book would be much more fulfilling and I may just give it try!!! 😉 Thank you for inspiring me and congratulations on your new story!!! (:
Mari,
I understand about feeling safe! I always kind of felt a kind of naked feeling having too much written down. I know back then I didn’t want anyone else to see what I wrote. But now I guess I’m pretty transparent.
Your story is worth telling and you are an amazing writer!
Glad you are writing it!
Happy New Year my sweet friend!
xoxo
Thank you! See? There you go being amazing again! Thank you for your kind words and happy new year to you too!! 🙂
((((((Mari)))))
Hugs!
You write beautifully!
Cindy,
ALWAYS a compliment coming from YOU!
Thank you!
xoxo
di
And did I say Happy New Year? 🙂
Diary’s were a bad idea at my house. I envy you. Good post about never too late to write a new page.
Yeah, I had to hide mine too. 🙂
I am almost 42, and still have my first book of poetry from 6th grade. I love looking back on it, although the writing is TERRIBLE hehe!
It is so funny! I thought that I was soo good. More than not, most was pretty horrible. LOL.
What a gift you have in that book!
Thanks for reading and commenting. I love your blog!
Thank you! So glad to have found your blog!!
I really enjoyed your post. I have kept my diaries (I started them in my teens) My writing was much neater back then, probably because I was in school, than it was in later years. I can hardly read what I’ve written from about the age of thirty on. That may also be attributed to the fact that I had a houseful of children and everything was done in a rush. I now have what some would call a doctor’s script, practically illegible, lol.
Jean, I know what you mean! So sad that they aren’t even teaching cursive writing any longer! Or so I heard! Thank you for reading and commenting! I find it so interesting that a lot of writers began writing journals. I wish I had the diaries from my childhood back. The other day, I found a book of my poems when I was around 16. So funny. They are BAD! I thought that they were so good!! LOL.
Those poems are never bad. They come from a heart that was full of the hopes and angst and awesomeness of a sixteen year old. (you should see my teenage poems, cringeworthy but a big part of me)
You are right! Gotta love our hearts! LOL.