Closing 2013

I have kept a daily journal for much of my life. The routine of writing each evening is cathartic and helps provide a useful record of where I am spending my time. I also staple into my journal any tickets or mementos from the day.

I write daily but do not staple items in until the year is nearly done or past. It means I have a small pile of paperwork near my journal reminding me to find the time to sort it out. Never a critical task, it takes a particularly quiet, calm, and often house bound day to come around. Today was just such a day. Today I closed my journals for 2012 and 2013.

2013 was a busy year. We gathered a lot of tickets and paperwork. The journal is double its expected width in one corner. Not ideal but a sign of a year well spent.

With the rise of print your own tickets and electronic tickets, many of the bigger events of the year had nothing associated with their day. Given the mass I did have to staple in, this lack of paperwork should probably be a blessing but it does not feel that way.

Instead the day when we visited Edinburgh Castle has no ticket, no leaflet, nothing associated; we bought online and printed out own tickets. I recycled the tickets later, as I have a digital copy. Now that page will be easily skipped over when flicking through the journal.

Should I keep my own print out or maybe consider stop stapling items in entirely? I am not sure. For now, I have a new pile of tickets to grown for this year. I can decide later.