Wednesday Factoid: Everyday Weirdness

What is something you do every day that most people don't? That most people would think is weird?

I can't really think of much that fits this except maybe my tendency to document.

I have a daily journal and I write about the happenings of the day. My journals used to be more like diaries in that I'd actually write opinions and thoughts and reflections, but that rarely happens now--it's pretty mechanical with an occasional funny phrasing or outburst, but it's primarily just journaling. (I have blogs for ranting if I need that now, and bonus, I can subject all my pals to it!)

I've always been into documenting stuff. I'm not sure what's so satisfying about it, but ever since I was a little kid I would make long lists of things and then organize the lists and rewrite them (man, what I wouldn't have given to have a computer then, to be able to easily reorganize lists in alphabetical order and print them out!). I loved then and love now to make lists of things I have, things I want, things I like, information I want to have easily accessible, things I've done, everything. I have lists of my favorite bands, movies, and TV shows. I have a list I could send you of my favorite foods if someone needed that. I have a list of every book I own so I can see if I'm buying a duplicate. And because I've been keeping a daily journal since January 1, 2000, I can tell you what I was doing on any day for the last seventeen years. (Not that it's likely to be all that interesting, but still, I can find out how long ago it was that I last saw you or what we did last year for Christmas or how long it's been since I went to the doctor.)

A stack of my journals

People don't really seem to think having a diary or a blog is weird, but they do seem to think daily journaling is strange--especially since I've been doing it a long time and I don't lapse. That's probably the weird part, there: the fact that I commit to doing something and then I do it, reliably, until I decide to stop. Most people I know who want to start a daily routine of some kind will stick to it for a while and then stop--not because they decide to, but because they get distracted or forget and they fall off the wagon so to speak. Whatever the goal is, I'm pretty good at keeping to it unless I want to give up the goal.

I should probably use this tendency of mine to push myself to write more fiction, but I haven't been brave enough for that. Because I know if I set the goal, I would do it, and if my previous ventures into putting this on the list of creature-of-habit duties, I will not be happy and will make myself miserable trying to crank it out when I'm not in the right mindset. I'm also not a "waits indefinitely for inspiration, needs circumstances to be ideal" kind of writer, and I can DO "butt in chair," but I don't DECIDE to because I have other ways of handling these things that work for me. I just, uh, haven't lately.

My journal probably shows how long ago it was that I last wrote something fictional besides my webcomics, and it's probably embarrassing.