Mercy Editing

I have an ongoing project to retype all my old journals into an electronic format. I figure that it is good back-up and I can combine the words with all the photographs I've scanned in over the years. This project will take a few more years to complete by the mere fact that I don't actually get to it every week.

 

Yes, I could scan the pages in, but it's great (and sometimes difficult) to re-read what I wrote back then. Often I learn lessons from my own writing that I can apply to my life now. Often some of the difficulties in the past continue and I wonder how long it will take me to learn. Yet, I have overcome a few bad habits or fears during the same time periods and so there is some progress in my life.

 

Either way, the process of going through these journals has given me the opportunity to delete a line or two, erase a last name or really think about what I want to be recorded for history. Now, I'm not going through and editing everything, but once every 20 pages or so there is a little piece of info that I'd rather delete. Typing them out by hand allows me to take this liberty. I call this "mercy editing" and it works for my benefit, but mostly for the benefit of others in my past. Yes, sometimes I would be mad at a roommate and write something I would regret. Sometimes I was right in doing so. Other times, it was my bad. Or, maybe I wrote about someone I liked, but didn't want to have the last name etched into eternity...especially if I never dated them. I have left most of that in, but many last names have disappeared if they are no value added to the record of my life. I'm sure if some of these people were contacted they would be like "who is she?"

 

I told someone at work I was doing this and he was appalled. He doesn't believe in changing a thing. I, on the other hand, must allow for a little mercy editing here and there. I can't see how my edit of a sentence or two over twenty pages will make a dent in my life history, but it will give me a little piece of mind. Plus, I believe people can change and though some events and experiences are important to look back on and learn from there are others that bring no value added to either party. I'd prefer to erase a few things that hurt others reputations if found out and would hope that someone would do the same for me.