Even since I was a teenager I’ve felt the need to ‘process’ experiences and that’s one of the reasons I’ve always kept a journal. ‘Processing,’ for me, means reflecting on what’s happened and drawing the key lessons, wonders, magic, sweetness, mysteries ….. and carrying them forward so that they don’t get lost in the morass of racing around.
I remember mentioning this need ‘to process’ to a friend many years ago and she looked at me as if I was cracked. Cracked or not, it’s still something I need to do and, in many ways, blogging has become part of that.
For example, lots has happened over the last few days and because I haven’t written, it all feels like a mumbo-jumbo of ‘stuff’ that risks being lost in a mega tangle that will just have to be dumped.
I would love to know what YOUR view on processing experiences is. Is it fundamentally important to you or do you just move on to the next moment without a thought?
What was SO important over the weekend, you may reasonably ask. Well, here’s a very brief synopsis!
1. I got to see my legendary hurling hero, Ken McGrath, at the brilliant, evocative, All Star Challenge Match I was so looking forward to last week.
Photo: Harry Fox
2. Mount Congreve Garden was beyond beautiful on Saturday morning:
3. Sunday 29th brought happy, happy memories of my Great Aunt Anna who has to have been the most romantic, fun-loving, generous person I’ve ever known. She married for the first time, aged 72, and she and her husband personified the word ‘sweethearts.’ She died very peacefully, aged 90, at dawn on June 29, 1991, as she and I held hands for the very last time.
4. It was a weekend of having fun in my new role as marketing manager for The Carpet Shop in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. Carpet is all about texture, colour, sense of place … so here’s a sample of where it took me as the sun shone!
And, of course, to the beach:
SOCIAL BRIDGE ~ Jean Tubridy connecting with you from Ireland 
I’m not a big “processor” and tend to move through various experiences and move on. Sometimes I wonder if that is why I don’t have that many memories of certain events that I “should” have or why I’m not a “great thinker”. I sometimes wish I were but then I shake it off and say “I am what I am!”
Dale, I think you’ve probably hit the nail on the head in your last words. I think how we approach things is so much to do with our nature ~ though maybe nurture has a bit to do with it as well. (I’m thinking here of how my mother always kept diaries and took it for granted that we would as well!)
Processing is definitely a must for me. Mostly I do it through writing, on the blog and in my journal. The journal is for those private thoughts and awareness. Sometimes, I wonder what folks who may read them after I am gone will think. Will they be like diaries of women from the 1800s or early 1900s and we devour them for the insight into their lives, or will they be tossed into the trash pile?
I love the photographs of the carpets in nature–awesome! It evokes wonderful imagery and the desire to go buy a carpet–I think I’ll take the red one.
Suz, nice to find a kindred spirit on this one! Yes, there is that ‘unknown’ about the fate of journals ~ unless, of course, one dumps them on a regular basis.
Glad you like the marketing pics. Fun to do!
Jean you’re taking this new position very seriously 🙂 Yes I guess blogging is one way of isolating highlights and letting the rest of the ‘noise’ pass through. Personally I don’t blog that way but many do.
Hi Roy, I discern a hint of amazement that about my new position! Sure, if you can’t enjoy your work, it’s a bad look out and see how I’m even working weekends ~ dawn ’til dusk!
Smell those Tuareg campfires http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1ksngBjmWA
How do you do it????
Love those marketing shots Jean!
I can just imagine you going around the countryside with carpet samples and a camera under your arm. Creative fun … and being paid for it!
Yep – I’m a processor too. Sometimes it feels like all the pieces just need to settle so I can get more clarity.
Val
Good to hear from you, Val. Why am I not surprised that you’re a ‘processor’ too? Seems like the world is divided on this!
Yes, lots of creative fun with carpets these days.
Hi Jean,
I really love this piece. The fun, the photos, and the heartwarming story about your aunt, marrying for the first time at 72!
Best wishes with the new job, and everything else!
Naomi
Thanks Naomi! Yes, Aunt Anna was such an inspiration, particularly about the issue of ageing.
Many thanks for your good wishes. Hope you have a great week.
Congrats on your new job and LUV the carpet with hay bales shot! My processing tendencies are to re-run everything through my mind until it’s old ‘n tired 😦 Past efforts to keep a written diary have never lasted long. My blog’s mission is to help me keep at least the knitting thoughts straight 🙂 ❤ ❤