Never Again (Again, and Again)

The opposite of a bucket list. Plus The Heard.

I was so pleased with the enthusiastic response to the most recent TAoN, on attending to those incidents and observations that may not seem obviously momentous, but will never quite happen again. And as I was contemplating that response, two things happened.

One: I heard an interview with Gretchen Rubin about her recent book on the five senses (which I hope to check out soon), and took note when she mentioned in passing that she never really took to the “gratitude journal” idea. (Me neither.)

Two: I “finished” a notebook. I’m not really a big notebook guy; I do always have one going, but it can take me years to fill. That’s because I tend to collect notes and material for specific projects in specific places, mostly digital (including, as you know, the “notebook” editions of this very newsletter!), or in reporters’ notepads. The contents of my spiral-bound notebooks are thus more idiosyncratic, and irregular. But purely for my own amusement, I always give each notebook a title. I’ll come back to that.

Point is, it occurred to me that, instead of (or in addition to) a gratitude journal, a “Never Again!” journal might a fun/useful idea.

---

THE OPPOSITE OF A BUCKET LIST

Perhaps obviously, the Never Again! Journal would be a place to record those small but singular moments that I described last time.