Journaling, Round-Robin Style
Take One Down, Pass It Around!
If you have a group of close, reliable friends, a round-robin friendship journal is a fun project which will leave each participant with a keepsake to cherish. I emphasize the word "reliable" right up front because if one person drops the ball, the whole group gets out of whack and someone could very well lose her journal altogether. Having said that, this truly is a fun project when everyone cooperates.
Let's presume that, say, a small group of friends agrees to participate. Here are some examples of how they might proceed:
1. Each person obtains a journal. It's best not to spend a lot of money and, if you're exchanging the journals by postal mail, consider the weight and how much postage will run, especially as photos, etc., are added by folks.
2. Because journals vary in length, each person determines how many pages each participant will be allotted for use in her journal. Sticky notes or some other way of marking each person's section will be helpful, or a note in the beginning can simply tell participants how many pages they are allotted.
3. Each person writes in the first section of her own journal. Unless the group has agreed upon a particular theme for the journals, pretty much anything goes. Text, photos, stickers, doodling, postcards of hometowns, or just about anything that will fit onto a page can be used. Creative folks have a blast when it comes to this type of journal project.
4. Once the initial section is written, each person passes/mails her journal to the next person on a pre-arranged list. Let's say for purposes of this example that exchanges will be made on the first of each month. On April 1, Participant A passes her journal to Participant B. The same day, Participant B passes her journal to Participant C, and so on. After a month of writing, each person again passes the journal in her possession to the next person on the list. This continues until each person's journal, filled with her friends' contributions, makes its way back to its owner.
I cherish my own round-robin journal, created years ago, and know that I will enjoy it for years to come. Having a tangible reminder of my friends, especially in this age of ever-increasing technology, is beyond special. It is my hope that you'll give this type of journaling a try. I believe you'll enjoy the process and the end result!
