It would be nice to get away from it all, catch a flight and head off to Italy. I could sit in a Piazza, with my journal for companionship, sip coffee and spend some time observing my surroundings. However, the truth is I don’t have to go that far.
Today I was sitting in my favourite coffee house and as I savoured my latte I randomly observed that the young man at the adjoining table was writing in his journal. His journal was like a work of art. He was writing in miniature, carefully constructing each word, each line.
When he packed up and was preparing to leave I told him that I had been observing him and said that I had the vision of him being a monk in one of those monasteries where men patiently sat at desks creating beautifully crafted illuminated manuscripts.
He smiled, pulled up his hoodie and said that the least he could do was complete the look.
Members of my Great Escape – Intensive Journal group are set homework. There are no penalties for not completing tasks. I ask them to spend a week finding places where they can go with their journals and make random observations.
