At the Finish Line

As I write this post, I am nearing the finish line.

I am not a runner—not by any means. If you see me running, you’d better run as well, because it probably means something big and mean is chasing me.

As far as I know, I’m fairly healthy and not nearing THAT finish line (Good Lord willing).

I am nearing the “Journal Finish Line.” A year or so ago in this space, I mentioned I was journaling. I found a “Three Year, Three Questions a Day Journal” in September 2019, purchased it on a whim, and started recording my thoughts every day.

Throughout my life, I have STARTED journaling projects but have NEVER EVER finished them. My shelves are lined with journals with a week or two of entries and then nothing else. I can look back at those and see TINY glimpses of life, but I never had the follow through to finish anything beyond a brief period of time.

 Now, I am nearly finished with a three-year record of my life. THREE YEARS?! I can’t believe it myself. And, oh, what a three-year period it was!

A couple of months after I started the journal, I had a major injury and was bedfast for months. Three weeks after I was mobile again and able to go back to work, the pandemic hit, with the lockdowns and fear. I finally had a book published . . . smack-dab In the middle of the pandemic.

With this nearly-completed journal, I have a record of my life during an interesting (sometmes agonizing?) period of history, something I can pass down to future generations. I can also say, “I finally DID IT!” That’s a great feeling for someone who tends to procrastinate and gets distracted easily.

What’s next? I have already purchased another journal, and I hope I can continue this practice. It is good to exercise my writing muscles and to release my thoughts and ideas on a daily basis.

Check back in three to five years to see if I am successful once again. For now, I am going to enjoy the view from the finish line.

Carlton Hughes, represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary, wears many hats. By day, he is a professor of communication. On Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, he serves as a children’s pastor. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer. Carlton is an empty-nesting dad and devoted husband who likes long walks on the beach, old sitcoms, and chocolate—all the chocolate. His work has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dating Game, The Wonders of Nature, Let the Earth Rejoice, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and Everyday Grace for Men. His latest book is Adventures in Fatherhood, co-authored with Holland Webb.