Link to the article is here. 

Recently, I began free writing in my notebook whenever procrastination came around, to motivate myself to continue studying. When I read Didion’s article on notebooks, I found myself relating to her in a lot of ways. I write spontaneous notes inconsistently as well, some entries years apart from each other. I really loved the way she used imagery and language in her article. Her detailed descriptions helped me visualize the memories she was remembering: “We were on her terrace by the sea, and we were finishing the wine left from lunch, trying to get what sun there was, a California winter sun.” (Didion 5) Didion revealed the importance of keeping a notebook, and why “preserving everything observed” has value within it. (Didion 3) We often notice when others around us change, especially loved ones. But to notice that change within ourselves is difficult. When I read my entries from 2012, it seemed like I was reading someone else’s notebook. I felt a little disturbed because that carefree person who wrote about her gelato filled summer vacation had smooth, neat printing laced with a witty sense of humor; a huge contrast with the recent scribbles on existentialism and egalitarianism. Years will fly by, and before we know it, we will have aged into a completely different person. Keeping a notebook enables us to stay in contact with not just our past selves, but reality as well.