Setting Sail

One thing I want to mention, if you are going to be retired, you need to start keeping a "Commonplace Book".  As you know, it is important for Seniors to keep their minds sharp, and you don't want to forget important things.  One thing that will help is a journal.

This is not your sister's "Dear Diary".  You aren't recording your dreams about the boy in the next row in Algebra.  A "Commonplace Book" is a journal in the sense that it is a database of information that you want to remember or keep track of.  It works for anyone, regardless of their level of computer literacy and requires very little to maintain and operate.

Basically, you buy a small notebook that is easy for you to carry around with you and a pen to use with it (pencils are ok also), and you are ready to go.

What goes in it?  In a word, anything you might want to remember.  This would include: thoughts, quotes, ideas, questions to ponder, dates to remember, people's names, expenses, sketches, recipes, phone numbers, whatever, in no particular order.  When you want to know something, you just skim through until you find your note.  You date the first page when you start, and the last page when you fill one up.  Then you buy a new one.  Richard Branson, the CEO of Virgin Atlantic, uses notebooks and a cell phone in lieu of a laptop because he cannot operate a computer.  He has filled 54 8-1/2 X 11 black notebooks which he keeps on his shelf for reference and carries one with him wherever he goes.  You should also.

The Commonplace Book is a tradition that goes back to the Middle Ages.  It used to be taught and required in all the European universities.  Other notable people who kept Commonplace Books are:  Thomas Jefferson, Mark Twain, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, John Milton, Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, and Vincent Van Gogh.

You can spend any amount of money you want, (especially if you go with the classic Moleskine, which are nice but a little expensive).  I find that the little 3 pack of pocket notebooks they sell at Target for $2.99 are fine.  The key is to get something you will be willing to carry with you everywhere.  I also recommend a gel pen because they make a print that is a little easier to read.  the trendy people have to have a Muji from Japan, but a Pilot or Bic works just fine.

The key take-away from this is, writing things down helps you improve your memory and you have a database to draw upon when necessary if you need a little hint sometimes about what you were trying to remember.  Also, this helps improve your eye for detail and it is not dependent upon a computer if you are a person who has some issues with the technical aspects of modern life.

You can find Moleskine notebooks at Books-A-Million or on-line: http://www.moleskineus.com/
Muji pens and notebooks, on line only: http://www.muji.us/store/stationery.html
Target and Staples offer good, inexpensive pocket notebooks also

good luck, and happy writing!