Why Journal?

This is a picture of Jackie Jensen, one of the first bonus babies of Major League Baseball, and a team mate of my father's in Navy baseball during WWW2. My father, Bud Wells, who went on to play with the Cardinals had many stories about Jackie and his life in baseball. None of these were written down and are now just part of our oral history.

Sir Richard of Windsor shares why journaling is so important: "I am sure this is oft asked, and each of us at one time or another has asked themselves this question. Hopefully, this will be answered in the next few lines. I am the recipient of the most wonderful gifts one could ever hope to receive, for I am in possession ofmy Grandfather's journals (1860-1952) and my fathers journals (1908-2001) which have become some of thethings that I value the most in this life. Although neither is complete, they are enough to give me a glimpse into their daily life, and lets me know of many aspects of their lives that I had no idea about. What a gift! It has allowed me to view my heritage in a way which I had never thought of before. I not only have the journals, but the ledgers of their accounts over a long period of time. One entry of my Dad's that caught my eye, was that on the evening of 23 Oct. 26, they listened to the final game of the World Series over KOA in St. Louis between the New York Yankees and the St Louis Cardinals. The Yankees won! I had always thought KOA originated from Denver, obviously I was wrong. That short entry immediately brought to mind the Norman Rockwell painting on the cover of "The Saturday Evening Post" of the family gathered around the radio. What a treat. In summation, you may not think your accounts of everyday life are important, and I have had that feeling. Your journals are your footprints along the path of life. At some future point in time, your child, or your grandchild, or somebody else will joyfully retrace those footsteps and that path with you, linked arm in arm, and reveling in every step of the way! So, if you are keeping a journal, keep up the good work, and, if you are not, now is a great time to start. Your family will thank you one day, even if you are not here to hear!!!"

Sir Richard of Windsor